Failure is nothing to be embarrassed about. It's part of life and it can be your greatest teacher.
Coming from humble beginnings and having a varied and exciting journey through life has meant that Shane Cameron has encountered lots of challenges, lots of different people and learned a lot of lessons.
Shane says: “Boxing has taught me a lot. I've had success and I've made my fair share of mistakes. But I don't hide from them, I learn from them. Failure is nothing to be embarrassed about. It's part of life and it can be your greatest teacher. I've surrounded myself with people that have challenged me, they've supported me and I may have left school at 13 but I've never stopped learning. Whatever I do, I give it 100%.”
Background
From farmer, to boxer, to businessman. Shane was born in Wellington, New Zealand and raised in Tiniroto, a small farming community on the East Coast of the north island. His heritage is both Maori and European, his mother of Rongomaiwahine descent, hailing from Mahia and strong Scottish ancestry on his father's side.
Growing up in a rural community meant there was no local boxing club so he spent all his spare time out on the farm, but that fiery Scottish blood came in handy for his late start in boxing at the age of 19. It wasn't until he went on his OE to England that he laced up, trained hard and had his first amateur fight. “My grandfather used to fight in the early 1930s and I always liked listening to his stories. He was even boxing on the boat when he came over from Scotland at the age of seven. He'd go running up the hills at three in the morning and sparring with no mouthguard, headgear or proper gloves”. That shared relentless drive and determination put him in good stead to build his boxing legacy.
A few significant highlights of his amateur career include becoming number three in England in the cruiser weight division after only boxing for 18 months and winning a bronze medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. With 48 amateur fights under his belt, Shane turned professional in 2002 after the Games, kicking off an exciting professional career… The Mountain Warrior was born. Shane also won the Jamieson Belt for NZ's most scientific boxer in 2001.
Fighting out of New Zealand, Australia and America, Shane quickly built a reputation as an exhilarating fighter with a good chin. Pro career highlights include sparring with boxing icons Mike Tyson and David Haye, reaching number 1 mandatory fighter in IBO and fighting for a world title in 2012. With a 34 fight history – the most significant was fighting for a world title against Danny Green.
Life After Boxing
Retiring from boxing has opened up a number of business opportunities for Shane who is a firm believer that you should never stop learning. The Shane Cameron Group includes a range of entities: Shane Cameron Fitness Gym, Shane Cameron Promotions and his latest commercial venture - Counterpunch by Shane Cameron, a top quality boxing range available online and onsite at Shane Cameron Fitness.
Shane is well known for his leadership and mentoring and is often guest speaker at various events across the country.
Talking Points
Your mind is your most powerful tool
Shane Cameron draws on his personal experience as a professional athlete and entrepreneur for an inspiring and uplifting presentation on resilience and its transformative power.Your mind is your most powerful tool
Shane delivers key insights to propel you forward;
1. Life is What You Make It: Take control of your destiny by shaping your attitude and actions.
2. Never Stop Learning: Embrace lifelong learning for continuous growth and development.
3. Back Yourself: Confidence is crucial. Trust your abilities and instincts to pursue your dreams.
4. Surround Yourself with Good People: Build a supportive network for strength and inspiration.
5. Be One Step Ahead: Stay proactive and prepared to overcome challenges and seize opportunities.
Shane Cameron's speech offers practical wisdom and motivation to embrace resilience as your pathway to success.
What drives Shane
Shane Cameron’s early life was marked by adversity. At just 4 years old, his family found themselves living in a tent at Gisborne campgrounds after his father's altercation with his boss. Struggling with undiagnosed ADD and dyslexia, Shane faced educational challenges that made him doubt his own abilities. Yet, he harbored a fierce determination to prove himself, driven by an unshakeable belief that he was destined for greater things.What drives Shane
Growing up in rural surroundings, Shane initially aspired to be a shepherd. Despite leaving school at 15, with his mother's support, he embarked on a journey that took him to three significant sheep and cattle stations. However, fate intervened when he ventured to the UK for six months, which unexpectedly led him to the world of boxing.
For Shane, having a clear goal is paramount to success. He firmly believes that with determination and perseverance, anyone can overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams.
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Shane Cameron CSNZ Highlights
Shane has it all, he's engaging, funny, has an important message. His story is inspirational and he is extremely funny as well. ... keep reading Barfoot & Thompson
Shane was one of the most down to earth people I have ever had as a guest speaker, His story was true and resonated with the audience. The feedback from the delegates was that this was a great choice, and they thoroughly enjoyed the story Shane had to tell.
We invited Shane to be guest motivational speaker at our annual New Zealand Automobile Association Motoring Services conference. The story of his journey from small town kiwi beginnings to international multi title holding heavy weight professional boxer was both entertaining and inspirational. Shane held the crowd with every line and provided an inspirational journey that all attendees in the room could relate to in both their personal and work life's going forward. There was no doubt when attendees left the room they were both inspired and motivated to succeed in life going forward.
Shane is great to work with - very authentic and down to earth. Easy to brief and happy to get amongst the guests at the event which makes for a memorable evening.
Our team really enjoyed having Shane at our event. His stories and delivery was on point for our team and having him as our guest really helped give our night that extra wow factor.
Shane was an incredibly engaging and skilled guest speaker. Our team left the session feeling that the content was not only relevant but also enjoyable and fun.
We engaged with Shane the Mountain Warrior Cameron to be our guest speaker this year for the Midas New Zealand conference, and Shane did more than deliver he exceeded our expectations, by going over and above. Shane joined us for our annual conference on Waiheke in August 2022, where he motivated and inspired all of our staff, delegates, suppliers and sponsors in a very professional manner. I highly recommend Shane to any business that is wanting to motivate and inspire their team, my team came away feeling very engaged and highly motivated. Shane has a great personal journey to share, that all us Kiwis can relate to and feel very proud of who we are and where we come from.
Shane was an inspiration, delivering his amazing story with humility and down-to-earth humour. He's one of NZ's genuine good-buggers.
Shane was incredible. He truly connected with the audience and presented in a way that was so true to who he is.
