Dr Olivia Ong
PROFILE
Dr Olivia Ong is a TEDx speaker, HarperCollins author, and practising Rehabilitation and Pain Physician whose work sits at the intersection of neuroscience, resilience, leadership, and lived experience.
With over 20 years of medical expertise, Dr Ong delivers high-impact keynotes that translate complex nervous system science into practical, evidence-based strategies for resilience, burnout recovery, and sustainable performance. Her talks combine compelling storytelling with clinical authority, resonating equally with executive leaders, corporate teams, and frontline professionals.
Dr Ong’s unique point of difference is her rare dual authority as both physician and patient. Following a catastrophic spinal cord injury, she rebuilt her life and career, going from paraplegia to walking again. This profound lived experience, combined with deep expertise in neuroscience and pain medicine, allows her to deliver talks with exceptional authenticity, empathy, and scientific credibility.
She is a HarperCollins Australia author, with her memoir Back On My Feet releasing on 24 February 2026. A proven speaker, Dr Ong has delivered keynotes for MND Australia, the Australian Women’s Weekly Health Summit (alongside Jessica Rowe and Michelle Bridges), Women’s Agenda, and numerous national conferences, and is a TEDx speaker.
Dr Ong will also feature on ABC’s Australian Story in 2026, positioning her as a timely and in-demand voice on resilience, leadership, and human performance.
SPEAKING TOPICS
BACK ON MY FEET: The Science of Radical Resilience
A powerful fusion of lived experience and neuroscience. I share my journey from paralysis to walking again, illustrating the physiology of resilience and how individuals and teams can rise through adversity with clarity and purpose.
Burnout-Proof Leadership: How High Performers Lead Without Breaking
Burnout is not a personal flaw, it’s a nervous system overload. This keynote equips leaders with sustainable strategies to regulate their energy, set boundaries, and lead with resilience using my RESET Method.
Reset Your Nervous System: Transform Stress into Clarity, Calm & Performance
A science-backed session on nervous system regulation, translating polyvagal theory and neuroplasticity into practical tools for emotional regulation, focus, and high performance.
Lead With Self-Compassion: The New Competitive Advantage
Self-compassion is a high-performance skill. This keynote empowers leaders to dismantle internal criticism, cultivate emotional intelligence, and create psychologically safe, heart-centred workplaces.
Beyond the Pain: Leading Through Invisible Stress, Trauma & Chronic Load
Ideal for care industries, medical organisations, and high-stress sectors. This talk explores how chronic stress and invisible load impact leadership and team dynamics, offering a trauma-informed approach to sustainable leadership.
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