Most of us have an idea about what it takes to be an Olympic or Paralympic Games competitor.
The path to the start line is paved with sacrifices.
You might think that a professional career would inevitably be one of them.
But across the world there are Deloitte professionals whose working day might surprise you.
In Australia, Caleb Antill takes a boat out onto the calm of the early morning water. It’s his first session of the day, but it won’t be his last. Later, with his Deloitte colleagues, he’ll be supporting his clients in the public sector as they navigate a technology transformation project. Building high-performing teams and working toward common goals is almost muscle memory for Caleb—in rowing, he is constantly developing and refining his strategy to contribute to his team’s success. He understands the individual strengths of each person in the boat and how to maximise them, to work as a cohesive unit and swiftly glide forward across the finish line.
In South Africa, an expert is advising one of the country’s biggest insurance firms. Data analysis, building models, research and programming are all in a day’s work for him. Later, he will be assessing split times as he attacks the roads in his handcycle. This is Pieter du Preez (Supa Piet to his colleagues at Deloitte), Paralympic Gold Medallist, defending World Champion and the first C6 quadriplegic in the world to complete an Ironman. Some might say that Piet is obsessed with numbers—after the cycling accident that caused his injury, he began tracking his recovery progress by timing how long it took him to get dressed. It used to be over 50 minutes. Now, just 2 minutes, 41 seconds.
On the other side of the world, a Toronto studio reverberates with hip-hop music and a strong breakbeat as Tiffany Leung flips and spins across the floor. This is competition-standard breakdancing. Every time Tiff breaks, she is exploring new moves and new responses. This restless creativity also serves her well in her role as a senior consultant in the quickly evolving world of AI. Tiffany specialises in applying AI and Emerging Technologies in Government & Public Sector, where the dazzling rate of change demands instant and intuitive responses.
"With Deloitte’s support, I can continue to advance my career while pursuing my dreams outside of work.”
- Tiffany Leung, Consultant, Deloitte Canada
These outstanding individuals are among the best in the world at what they do. And they are part of a worldwide team of Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls that share dreams of glory—Team Deloitte.
Team Deloitte consists of more than two dozen Deloitte professionals representing 15 countries, aiming to qualify for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. Team Deloitte athletes compete in eleven different sports, both team and individual, including a sport that's making its Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Games: Breaking.
Tiffany knows why Team Deloitte is possible. "With Deloitte’s support, I can continue to advance my career while pursuing my dreams outside of work. Deloitte and breaking share a lot of synergies and the skills that I learnt in the professional world are transferrable to breaking. They both require the same level of dedication and passion."
It says a lot about these exceptional people that they can pursue their Olympic and Paralympic dreams while building their professional careers.
But to everyone at Deloitte it makes complete sense.
Because over the years, we’ve come to understand that the qualities that make a great athlete are similar to the qualities you need for success in the professional world.
Focus, determination, resilience and a relentless commitment to continuous improvement.
The vision to see the possibility.
And the dedication to make it a reality.
See the possibility. See the impact.
* Members of Team Deloitte work in a full or part-time capacity across each of our businesses at Deloitte. They are joined by a small cohort of Deloitte-sponsored athletes, two of which are Deloitte alumni. Team Deloitte collectively represents over 30 dual-career athletes across 15 different sports for 14 countries.