How to Win the Game of Life

Elite sports lessons for entrepreneurs – building resilience, focus, and purpose-driven success
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Entrepreneurship and top-level sports have more in common than you might think—both demand courage, clarity, and the ability to bounce back when things don’t go as planned.
It’s not just about talent. It’s about building strong habits, trusting your instincts, and staying flexible when the game changes. From training routines to mental toughness, Ann Wauters translates lessons from the world of elite sports into clear, actionable insights for entrepreneurs and leaders.
This keynote is a candid and energizing reflection on how to stay focused, bounce back, and lead with purpose—even in uncertain times. Whether you're leading a company or growing a new idea, you'll walk away with tools to help you play the long game—and win it.
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Ann Wauters rose from an introverted, athletic girl to a global icon in professional basketball, captaining the Belgian Cats, winning at the highest levels, and redefining leadership in sport and business.
Next to that, she is Four-time EuroLeague champion, winner of the EuroCup, multiple domestic league titles, and WNBA champion in 2016 and Five-time European Player of the Year, Olympic athlete with a bronze medal at EuroBasket and leading the Cats at Tokyo 2021.
She brings 25 years of teamwork at the highest level—from leading elite basketball teams to coaching in the WNBA—and transforms her deep experience into instructive, inspiring keynotes that elevate teams and organizations to new heights.
Ann brings raw authenticity, elite sports wisdom, and proven frameworks to every stage. Whether you want to empower leadership, boost resilience, or uplift team culture, she equips audiences with strategies they can apply the minute they leave the room.
Ann’s high-impact talks center on:
Leadership Evolution: Traces her journey from introvert to internationally recognised captain, spotlighting courage, vulnerability, feedback, and emotional agility.
The Reimagined TEAM Framework: Trust, Energy, Accountability & Mindset—unlocking cohesive, high-performing teams, rooted in her Cats successes.
The Game of Life: Translatable tactics from elite sport to entrepreneurship—cultivating resilience through routines, belief, flexibility, and mental toughness.
Mentorship: she extends her influence through mentorship and training
She wrote The Game of Life and is co-author of Mentor Moves. Together with other athletes, she aims to spark a movement that breaks through isolation, loneliness, doubt, and uncertainty—by offering guidance, wisdom from life, storytelling, and deep expertise, as a counter-movement to the growing individualism and egoism in society. With Assits, she spreads universal mentorship principles to share her experience to others.
From Court to Boardroom: Elevate Your Team with Trust, Energy, Accountability & Mindset.
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