Episode 69: Sebastien Sasseville - Epic endurance challenges & keynote speaking as expressions of his purpose

Today’s guest is Sebastien Sasseville. Sebastien was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2002, the most severe form of diabetes. Sebastien vowed that the obstacle would never keep him from living life to the fullest, and today his story is a testament to how challenges can be turned into opportunities. In 2008, Sebastien reached the summit of Mount Everest. He then completed six Ironmans and the mythical Sahara race, a 250 kilometer, self-supported ultra-marathon over five days through the Sahara Desert. In 2014, he faced the biggest challenge of his life: run across Canada from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Vancouver: 7,200 km, or 170 marathons in nine months. His next big adventure is coming up very soon, (hint: it involves lots of cycling), but you’ll have to listen to the interview to get the details. Sebastien also spent 10 years in the corporate world and blends that experience with his unique athletic achievements to deliver inspirational and motivational keynotes to large organizations. Per his LinkedIn profile, he works with performing organizations that have reached base camp, but are looking to transform, so as to dictate rhythm, stay at the forefront and get to the top. Some of his clients include Cisco, SAP, and Johnson & Johnson. In this interview, we get into what it’s like for Sebastien to live with Type 1 diabetes, his corporate career and transition to keynote speaking, what it means for him to make a real impact, and his many feats of endurance.

Timestamps

00:02:48 Growing up in Canada

00:05:05 What he wanted to do for a career

00:07:28 Is he an extrovert or an introvert?

00:09:59 When he got diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes

00:12:10 Difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

00:15:17 Did his diagnosis change the trajectory of his life?

00:18:46 When he started to get into endurance sport

00:21:58 A "bad resiliency day" and how overcomes them

00:23:46 Corporate career and working in sales

00:27:20 Biggest takeaways from his corporate career

00:28:27 Why he left the corporate world

00:30:46 His role as a keynote speaker

00:34:23 Fear around raising his fees and how he overcame that fear

00:37:59 Types of companies he speaks to and why his keynotes resonate

00:43:04 How companies can overcome unintentional complacency

00:45:21 What he enjoys most about being a keynote speaker

00:50:11 Why endurance sport was appealing to him

00:52:40 What it's like to be an endurance athlete with Type 1 diabetes

00:56:38 His Run Across Canada in 2014

01:02:01 His next big endurance quest

01:04:47 How long it took him to run across Canada and the importance of pacing

01:08:46 Out of his 3 epic endurance quests, which was the hardest in terms of managing his diabetes?

01:10:51 How he's adjusted to the pandemic

01:16:29 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now

01:18:34 His daily routine

01:20:02 His driving force

01:21:06 Parting words of wisdom around motivation