Sarah Kelly

Keynote and Motivational Speaker

Inspiring resilience, hope, and authentic leadership in life, work, and education.

Photo of Sarah Kelly, resilience, hope, authenticity.

Sarah Kelly smiling at a Carrie Bickmore fundraising event

I’m Sarah Kelly. At 41, I’m living with Grade 3 brain cancer. Despite the challenges, I’ve discovered resilience, hope, and strength through community and now I aim to help leaders, school students and organisations do the same.

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Hope is not just a feeling, it’s a strategy for leaders.

Through authentic and relatable storytelling, I help leaders and teams reduce burnout, build resilience, and create lasting impact.

Sarah Kelly speaking on resilience and hope

What People Are Saying

Sarah is one in a million. She speaks from the heart, with strength, wisdom, resilience and warmth. Sarah is what we call in TV "good talent" - she simply shines on screen or on stage. Sarah's story is truly inspirational - I couldn't recommend her as a keynote speaker enough. She will leave any audience enriched for hearing her inspirational story of strength and hope.

Danika Armytage - Big Stories Little Films
In my experience, very few people can walk the tight-rope of emotional lived experience storytelling with the ability to convey a broad message of hope and positivity in the sector that we work in. Sarah’s gentle approach combined with her powerful insights into research and clinical trials gives her the most unique perspective on what’s possible if we are willing to come together to solve this problem – a problem that she lives through every day. She is an incredibly engaging speaker that I would recommend to any audience.

Sam McGuane - CEO of The Brain Cancer Centre
Sarah’s advocacy, determination and strength are inspiring. Named La Trobe’s Citizen of the Year 2025 for being passionate community ambassador, strong fundraising efforts including for Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer Foundation and for increasing awareness of brain cancer and need for further funding for research.

Jason Wood, MP
Sarah attended the Rotary Club of Emerald and District to present on her cancer journey. The members found her to be an engaging and inspirational speaker who left us with an enduring understanding of her resilience and courage in the light of her diagnosis. We would recommend Sarah as a speaker to any group such as ours.

Peter Brock - President Emerald & District Rotary
Sarah's words were powerful because they were real. She spoke straight from the heart - raw, brave and full of hope. There wasn’t a person in our audience who wasn’t touched.

Dine For A Cure Committee
Sarah's strength is not just in her fight, but in the way she inspires others to keep believing, keep hoping, and keep finding beauty in every moment.

Colin Byron - Greater Dandenong & Endeavour Hills Rotary
Sarah epitomises "Finding Gold in the Sludge"! With authenticity, Sarah shares her story, and the tools she has discovered to look with hope and foster resilience in the midst of adversity - inspiring for all who hear!

Mel Black - Finding Gold in the Sludge podcast
Sarah’s story is spoken straight from the heart and filled with courage, determination, and strength. I’ve had the privilege of seeing her engage audiences of all kinds with such authenticity and warmth, always leaving a lasting impression. As a representative of our BCC Consumer Program and a passionate advocate for people living with brain cancer, she shares a story of resilience and hope, making every talk deeply impactful.

Linda Hawkins - Brain Cancer Centre Consumer Coordinator
Her honesty in sharing the raw reality of diagnosis, treatment, and life after brain surgery is both powerful and humbling. Sarah speaks with such warmth and clarity about facing uncertainty while still embracing life and motherhood. Her perspective reminds us that strength isn’t about “fighting” but about showing up with grace and courage each day.

The Aunty M Brain Tumours Talk Show
Thank you, Sarah, for engaging with 200 youth at their level. I received many comments from the youth about the strength of your person, your honesty about the down times and inspiration in your resilience in the face of adversity. So many were carried along by your story. It was great how you had questions for them to discuss in small groups. Thank you.

Joe Moore, Combined LAMP youth groups
We invited Sarah to speak at our event and share her lived experience with brain cancer. She took great care to prepare, tailoring her talk to suit the audience and aligning her presentation with the flow of the evening to maximise impact and fundraising potential. Sarah spoke beautifully — delivering a heartfelt and powerful address that deeply moved everyone in the room. Her advocacy and unwavering drive to raise awareness are truly inspiring, and I would highly recommend her as a speaker for other like-minded events.

Emily Galea - Director of The Brain Ball
Sarah's strength and positivity in the face of a Grade 3 brain tumour are truly inspiring. As an advocate, she tirelessly raises awareness and funds for research through 'Sarah's Hope.' Her dedication and achievements, including a nomination for the 2025 Stan Henwood Award, make her a beacon of hope and strong leadership in our community. I get to meet and work with a lot of people as the Mayor of Cardinia Shire, and it’s clear that Sarah represents the best of us

Mayor Cr Jack Kowarzik

Sarah Kelly

Keynote and Motivational Speaker

Inspiring resilience, hope, and authentic leadership in life, work, and education.

Hope is not just a feeling, it’s a strategy for leaders.

Sarah's words were powerful because they were real. She spoke straight from the heart - raw, brave and full of hope. There wasn’t a person in our audience who wasn’t touched.

Sarah's strength is not just in her fight, but in the way she inspires others to keep believing, keep hoping, and keep finding beauty in every moment.

Sarah epitomises "Finding Gold in the Sludge"! With authenticity, Sarah shares her story, and the tools she has discovered to look with hope and foster resilience in the midst of adversity - inspiring for all who hear!

Get in touch