Max Walker has travelled an amazing journey schoolboy sporting prodigy to one of the most recognisable faces and voices in Australia. Along the way he played Test Cricket for Australia in a golden era and VFL/AFL football for the Melbourne Football Club. He then continued to be centre stage in the highly competitive sports media arena as host of the Nine Network's Wide World of Sports. He is an author of 14 books (7 No1 best sellers).

Max is also a successful entrepreneur with directorships in a number of companies.

Academically, he qualified the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology with a Fellowship Diploma of Architecture and practiced as an architect for 10 years.

His accreditation as a Certified Speaking Professional gives Max an internationally recognised credential and places him in a group of Australian Speakers who have reached this peak.

Max's transition the sporting fields to the hypnotic world of media was seamless ... a natural charismatic communicator on radio and television. An extension of that natural story telling ability resulted in seven No1 best sellers in Australia ... aggregate sales stretched beyond one million copies.

Max is an authentic, inspirational public speaker and the consummate Master of Ceremonies. He presents constantly throughout Australia and around the globe. His message has inspired and captivated audiences in Rio de Janeiro, New York, London, Hong Kong, Orlando, Singapore, Hawaii, Bangkok, Dubai, Vancouver, Harare, Johannesburg, Tokyo and Beijing.

Beginnings
The beginnings of Tom O'Toole’s rise to business triumph originated in a small bakery in a small, dying, and isolated country town with a population of 3,000 people. Gradually, under Tom’s guidance, the business grew from two employees to 70 full and part timers; from an annual turnover of $100,000 to well over $4 million.  The Beechworth Bakery is now serving in excess of 900,000 customers per year.  Tom’s work energized a small country town and instigated the rebirth of a community.

Management
Under O'Toole's management, the Beechworth Bakery has become the highest earning single bakery retailer in Australia, and is the worthy winner of various national and state marketing and business awards. His business model is being emulated around the world. Tom has now opened successful bakeries in other parts of regional Victoria including Bendigo, Albury, Echuca and Healesville.  His business enterprise is growing nationally with a new venture in Western Australia.

Education
Tom O'Toole has not relied on formal education for his success.  A self-confessed kindergarten drop-out, O’Toole was poorly educated as a child.  Knowing first-hand about poverty and deprivation, Tom came from an impoverished background and has experienced the lowest of lows.  But Tom has overcome all obstacles to become a beaming icon of an entire industry. Tom O’Toole is one of a kind, and all Australians who own a business owe it to themselves to get a dose of his insights.

“My bread is probably no better than the rest, but our service vision lifts us right out of the crowd.”

The O’Toole philosophies
The O’Toole philosophies are simple and effective:

• If you wouldn’t buy it, then don’t sell it
• Attitudes are contagious
• Nothing changes if nothing changes
• If it’s to be, it’s up to me
• Don’t let someone else steal your day

OLYMPIAN Brad Kahlefeldt is one of the best triathletes on the international circuit.

Hailing from Wagga Wagga NSW, Brad first started his sporting career in athletics, progressing to national level in Cross Country running. He then took up the sport of duathlon, which consists of running and cycling. He represented Australia twice as a Junior in the World Championships in 1996 and 1997.

Driven by a hunger for greater success, Brad decided to move into the more popular triathlon even though he was not a strong swimmer. His drive and determination led him to push his body through 60km of pool training a week in an effort to strengthen his weakest triathlon leg. Eventually the hard work paid off, and Brad’s swimming is now world class.

But along the way Brad experienced his fair share of setbacks including three stress fractures which forced him to sit on the sidelines for a total of 15 months. Brad returned in 2002 with some breakthrough results in the elite level and won the U/23 World Championships in Mexico by more than one and a half minutes. He continued winning major races including his first World Cup win in Doha in 2006 and he then won 10 other major races in the same year.

Brad’s 2006 victories included winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal on home soil and he was ranked as the world’s best triathlete for the year. Brad has also had podium finishes at the World Triathlon Championships in Japan in 2005 and in Germany in 2007. He was selected to represent Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but a hip injury disrupted his preparation.

In 2009 Brad will represent Australia and attempt to claim victory in the new World Championship series.