#1 Bestselling Author, Crossroads | Inspiring Community Leader | Mental Wellness Advocate
Kaleb Dahlgren is a Canadian gem. He is an inspiring community leader, mental wellness advocate, and survivor. Kaleb has an inexplicable ability to connect with any audience as he invites them to revisit the challenges of his past and share the valuable lessons he has learned from them.
From a young age, Kaleb has been forced to be resilient. His hockey career was threatened before it started with a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes at four years old. Yet Kaleb proved his doctors and coaches wrong by going on to play hockey at an elite level. During his career, he played for the Humboldt Broncos – a team that made national news when their bus collided with a transport truck. The accident took away 16 lives and left only 13 survivors, many of them with lifelong injuries. Kaleb is one of the survivors.
Once he recovered, Kaleb returned to the ice to play for York University’s varsity hockey team. While at York, he earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree as Valedictorian, Magna Cum Laude, and Varsity Athletics Male Graduate of the Year in April 2021. Currently, Kaleb is pursuing his dream of becoming a chiropractor at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.
Kaleb is passionate about community service and team-building. He is the National Ambassador for two non-profit organizations, and the founder of his own, Dahlgren’s Diabeauties – a mentorship program developed to help connect children with Type 1 diabetes to role models that can help provide guidance and support. Kaleb’s work and dedication to helping others have been recognized nationally with honours, including the 2023 Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for Community Impact.
Additionally, he is the National bestselling author of Crossroads, his debut memoir. Crossroads was deemed a book that “will change your life for the better” by hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.
Between his busy schedule, Kaleb focuses on his personal growth, wellness and health while constantly seeking new challenges and experiences!
A one-of-a-kind individual, Kaleb cultivates a positive impact wherever he goes.
TOPICS
Creating Community & Building Strong Teams
In the face of adversity, one can either back down or stand up and fight. Kaleb never backs down. Kaleb is a natural-born leader who works hard to better every community he’s involved in. Whether it’s the Humboldt community, the diabetes community or the York Lions, Kaleb isn’t afraid to take on a leadership role. He has received nine awards for his community and team commitments. He knows what it takes to be a leader and is ready to teach others how to embrace their leadership qualities within themselves.
Words to live by
No matter the circumstance, Kaleb has lived by a select set of trusted principles. These principles reflect his ingrained values and positive approach to life’s challenges. Kaleb’s vibrant personality and positive outlook on life have helped him achieve his goals. His experiences and hardships have shaped him to become a great leader, on and off the ice. In this keynote, Kaleb presents the importance of holding yourself accountable in order to achieve your goals. When you believe in yourself and you hold yourself accountable, you can reach greatness, even in the face of tragedy.
My life as a fighter: Living with and beyond illness
Since his diabetes diagnosis, Kaleb has made it clear that he would not take no for an answer. Rather than giving up on his dreams post-diagnosis, Kaleb worked hard to prove stats wrong. From rising through hockey ranks to helping children with diabetes realize their worth, Kaleb has embraced his struggle and has changed many lives in the process.
