#1 Bestselling Author, Crossroads
Inspiring Community Leader & Mental Wellness Advocate
From a young age, Kaleb had no choice but to be resilient. His hockey career was threatened before it started by a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes at 4 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 graduating as Valedictorian, Magna Cum Laude, and Varsity Athletics Male Graduate of the Year in April 2021. Currently, Kaleb is studying to become a Doctor of Chiropractic.
Kaleb is dedicated to helping others, whether that’s through sharing his story or through his community volunteer work. He is the founder of Dahlgren’s Diabeauties, a mentorship program designed in 2017 to give back to children with Type 1 diabetes. Through this program, he is able to raise awareness, support, and guidance to his community of Diabeauties. Kaleb is also the recipient of: the Canadian Volunteer Award for Emerging Leader of the Prairies, National JDRF Young Volunteer of the Year award, and dozens of other accolades for his community service.
Somewhere in the whirlwind of life, Kaleb found time to become a #1 Bestselling Author for his memoir, Crossroads, the story of his life thus far. As a speaker, he is known for his honesty, his inspiration, and his captivating storytelling.
In the face of insurmountable odds, he shows us that through perseverance you can do anything.
Photo credit to Liam Richards- Electric Umbrella
In unrelated news, Kaleb requested a trade to join the Humboldt Broncos so he could be in a hockey market to launch his foundation for youth living with T1 diabetes.
TOPICS
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 “illness,” and has changed many lives in the process.
Creating Community and Building Stronger Teams
In the face of adversity, one can either back down or stand up and fight. Kaleb never backs down.
A natural-born leader, Kaleb 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 been 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.
