Keynote One-Sheet
One page on format, audience fit and outcomes. Built to forward.
Signature Keynote
From Darkness
to Brightness
From Wheelchair to Will-Chair
Approx. 30 minutes · Live keynote
A keynote that changes the way people see adversity. An extraordinary true story, real humor and a framework audiences can use on Monday — so your room leaves with perspective and the will to move forward.
The Keynote
Thirty minutes that reset the room
Gabey’s life ran on motion — executive chef, firefighter, pilot, father — until a tragic accident cost him both legs. This keynote walks an audience through the life before, the accident and rehabilitation, and what carried him to the other side. Along the way there is humor, hard honesty, and the specific, ordinary decisions that rebuilt a life: the people he let in, the yardstick he changed, and the faith and gratitude he refused to give up.
I have a wheelchair, but everyone has a “wheelchair”… everyone has a challenge. Turn your wheelchair into a will-chair — access your will powers to overcome shortcomings.
- Duration
- Approximately 30 minutes
- Format
- Live keynote presentation
- Placement
- Opening or closing keynote, all-hands, annual conference, leadership summit
- Positioning
- Resilience · Perspective · Faith · Humor · Hope · Personal responsibility · Gratitude · Human connection
- Tone
- Strong, human, hopeful, funny — never sympathy
- Requirements
- Wireless microphone and accessible stage access via ramp or lift
Audience Fit
Who this keynote is built for
It works anywhere a room needs perspective — and it works especially well as the session that reframes everything before or after the business content.
- Corporate Meetings
- Leadership Events
- Sales Organizations
- Associations
- Conferences
- Employee Engagement
- Resilience & Wellbeing Programs
Outcomes
What they walk out with
- 01
Perspective during adversity
A working way to measure a hard week against something other than the last hard week.
- 02
The importance of the people around us
Why nobody moves forward alone — and what that asks of a team, a manager, a colleague.
- 03
The will to keep moving forward
The difference between willpower that runs out and will that carries. The room feels this one.
The Framework
The 3 Powers
The keynote is not a story with a moral attached. It is a story that produces a framework — three powers an audience can name, remember and use.
The Power of Others
Lean Into Connection
No one turns a wheelchair into a will-chair alone. Someone always hands you the first push. Recognizing who's shown up for you — and who needs you to show up for them — is where forward motion begins.
The Power of Comparison
Reframe What You See
Comparison can crush you, or it can clarify you. The difference is what you do with what you see in someone else. Release the comparisons that shrink you, and let the rest sharpen your purpose.
The Power of God
Trust What You Can't See
Willpower alone runs out. Faith in God is what keeps you moving when your own strength isn't enough. Trusting Him, even without seeing the whole staircase, is where real momentum begins.
The Speaker
Why it lands
Gabey was an executive chef, a firefighter and a pilot before the accident, and he is the father of Nicole, Andrew and Joshua. He rebuilt through rehabilitation, humor, faith and gratitude — and he still drives, jet skis, parasails, travels and cooks.
That is why the room believes him. He is not describing resilience from a stage. He is the proof, and he is funny about it.
“It’s not about putting yourself in my shoes… because I don’t have any.”
Watch
The keynote on stage
Keynote footage is in production. If you need video for an internal approval deadline, say so in your inquiry and management will get you what exists.
Proof
What people say
I was introduced to Gabey through a mutual friend, a highly accomplished actor, who had known him for decades. Since I had a rich background in public speaking, live performances, writing, and inspirational presentations – our mutual friend suggested we collaborate to develop a motivational speech for together. Little did I know, I was about to encounter a force of nature. Gabey embodies resilience in its purest form, facing extraordinary challenges head-on while maintaining an infectious smile, a joyous laugh, and, despite the loss of his legs, an unmistakable “pep in his step.”
For Event Planners
Take it to your committee
Everything you need to get a yes internally — ungated.
Download
Speaker Kit
Positioning, keynote, THE 3 POWERS, biography and booking contact.
Bios, headshots, AV & access
50/100/250-word and full bios, headshots, official logo, MC introduction, AV and stage requirements, accessibility and travel notes.
Quick Answers
What planners ask first
The logistics questions that decide a booking, answered plainly.
- How long is the keynote?
- The keynote runs approximately 30 minutes as a live presentation. Anything beyond that is agreed with the organizer directly rather than offered as a fixed package.
- Can the keynote open or close a conference?
- Yes. The keynote is built to work as either an opening or a closing keynote, and is well suited to corporate meetings, leadership events, sales organizations, associations, conferences, employee engagement days and resilience or wellbeing programs.
- What are Gabriel Abikzer's AV and stage requirements?
- Accessible stage access via a ramp or lift rather than stairs, a level unobstructed path from the accessible entrance to the stage, and a wireless lavalier or over-ear headset microphone are the essentials. No podium is needed; please leave open floor space center stage. A 16:9 screen, a confidence monitor and even front light aimed at seated height are helpful. The full AV and stage sheet is published on the Resources page.
- What does the venue need to be accessible for Gabey?
- Gabey presents from his wheelchair, so accessible stage access is the single most important logistical detail of the day. Please confirm an accessible venue entrance, a step-free route to the stage, an accessible restroom near the stage or green room, elevator access where relevant, and table or lectern heights that suit a seated presenter.
- What is the speaking fee?
- Fees are not published. Fee and terms are confirmed with management based on your date, location, format and audience — submit a speaking inquiry through the booking form and you will receive the information you need to plan.
- What will the audience take away?
- Perspective during adversity, a clearer sense of how much the people around them matter, and the will to keep moving forward. The line audiences repeat on the way out is the takeaway: everyone has a “wheelchair” — turn yours into a will-chair.
Book Gabey
Bring this keynote to your stage
Share your date, city, audience and the outcome you need. Management responds with availability and next steps.