PUBLIC SPEAKING
Michael brings over 60 years of lived experience to his speaking engagements, sharing his passion for mental fitness and positive masculinity with sporting, business and corporate groups. He is an accomplished public speaker with a keen focus on positive masculinity and mental fitness.
His formative years were driven in the pursuit of becoming "a real man", an ideal of masculinity that was passed down to him by his father and reinforced during his early years in the Navy. He hit the gym to become physically intimidating while building suppressing his emotions for fear of being seen as weak. He played contact sports and worked as a bouncer in his spare time in the hope of achieving "real man" status.
It wasn't until deep depression hit him on returning from Iraq in 2004, that he realised there were deep flaws in the kind of masculinity he was trying to attain. Following periods of counselling and, with the support of his safety net, he began to develop a new version of masculinity for himself. Nowadays he shares that version in the talks he gives.
Surviving a suicide attempt in his early teens, Michael has dealt with anxiety and depression most of his life and was formally diagnosed with an Adjustment Disorder on leaving the Navy.
Many years of self-reflection, combined with professional help have enabled him to become comfortable with his condition and to talk about the importance of developing and maintaining individual mental fitness. In his talks on this subject he introduces audiences to the importance of connection, physical fitness, mindfulness, lifelong learning and giving back, as ways to develop mental fitness as a bulwark against the challenges of life.
If you are keen to engage Michael to speak at your event, please enquire via the link below.
public speaking topics
Mental Fitness
What I learned about becoming a "Real Man"
What I learned about becoming a "Real Man"
Mental health awareness has grown considerably over the past few years, especially since COVID. The troubling truth remains, however, that there remains a stigma surrounding the subject.
Michael speaks openly about his own lived experience of mental illness. In doing so he has encouraged others to feel more comfortable talking about their own experience and seeking assistance where it is needed.
In this talk, Michael outlines proactive steps anyone can take to improve their mental fitness and, by extension, their ability to cope with life. He highlights the importance of connection, physical fitness, mindfulness, life-long learning and giving back as strategies to improve and maintain individual mental fitness.
What I learned about becoming a "Real Man"
What I learned about becoming a "Real Man"
What I learned about becoming a "Real Man"
As a young man, Michael was schooled in the ways of becoming a "Real Man" by a father who adhered to a very traditional form of masculinity. One that demanded men be strong, unemotional, and ready to fight.
Pursuing this model of manhood saw Michael hitting the gym at an early age to build himself up physically. At the same time, he learned to hide his emotions for fear of being seen as weak or vulnerable.
As he got older his physical size increased, the emotional barriers he surrounded himself with became stronger, and he became more angry and aggressive.
It wasn't until his 30's that he was exposed to a different model of manhood by a couple of key men in his life. One was his Father-in-Law, Emile Rider, an ex-professional wrestler, who showed him a gentler way to be a man. The other was a senior Naval officer; a monster of a man who modeled a softer, more confident form of masculinity.
These influences set Michael on a course of self-reflection and discovery that continues today. He shares his findings openly, challenging his audiences to question their views of masculinity, and how they impact themselves and the world around them.
michael speaks about masculinity and mental fitness
Michael Aichhholzer Shares His Story About Anxiety & more, This Is My Brave Canberra, Australia 2017
Michael Aichhholzer Shares His Story About Anxiety & more, This Is My Brave Canberra, Australia 2017
Michael Aichhholzer Shares His Story About Anxiety & more, This Is My Brave Canberra, Australia 2017
"This Is My Brave The Show" - Canberra, Australia performance. Bringing mental illness and mental health issues into the spotlight through creative expression.
(C) This is My Brave Australia 2017
A powerful account of hypermasculinity
Michael Aichhholzer Shares His Story About Anxiety & more, This Is My Brave Canberra, Australia 2017
Michael Aichhholzer Shares His Story About Anxiety & more, This Is My Brave Canberra, Australia 2017
Powerlifting Menslink counsellor Michael Aichholzer on his amazing life and how his hypermasculinity led him to the brink of destruction.
(C) ABC Radio 2018
'Men don't cry': Michael reveals how he undid the hyper-masculine lessons from his past
Michael Aichhholzer Shares His Story About Anxiety & more, This Is My Brave Canberra, Australia 2017
'Men don't cry': Michael reveals how he undid the hyper-masculine lessons from his past
Michael Aichholzer was taught by his father that men were "strong, tough, virile and unemotional" and had those values reinforced when he joined the Navy. He reveals the moment he knew he had to control his rage and change his ways.
(C) SBS 2022
A Few Good Blokes: Michael
Michael is a power lifter and mentor who supports young boys and men to build emotional muscle.
(C) ABC IVIEW 2020