He plays like a man without fear, but not even Cameron McInnes is immune to the nerve-jangling pressure of public speaking.
Just as he does on the footy field, the courageous Cronulla Sharks co-captain will tackle the challenge head-on when he makes history next Friday – April 17 – as the first current NRL player to give a TEDx Talk at Inaburra School in Bangor.
For the uninitiated, TEDx is a grassroots offshoot of world-renowned TED Talk conferences – digestible presentations from cutting-edge thinkers which are shared online and consumed by countless people across the globe.
While independent TEDx events centre on local speakers, talks are still uploaded to an official YouTube channel with more than 44 million subscribers.
I think when I get closer to it, I'll be pretty nervous.
Cameron McInnes
McInnes is among the headline acts at TEDxSutherland – the first seminar of its kind in the Shire – alongside two-time world surfing champion Tom Carroll, former NRL coach Matthew Elliott, resilience expert Kate Gladdin and other innovators.
"I think when I get closer to it, I'll be pretty nervous," McInnes told Sharks Media.
"With the TEDx format, you can have slides up, but I'm terrible with technology. I've got a speech written but I've got to remember it.
"There's no palm cards and you want it to flow properly. The execution, as much as what you're talking about, is pretty important. I'll see how I go.
"In terms of the practice, it is quite hard ... You're speaking to a few hundred people; you don't really get to practise that. But I've been writing it and – not perfecting, because it's not perfect – but trying to add to it over a few months.
"Now it's just about getting as much of it in ... It's my story, so it's not like I'm talking about something I don't know, but it's just trying to execute it."
Tapping into the theme of 'Thrive', McInnes will draw upon a breadth of insights throughout a storied 226-game NRL career as he delivers a passionate speech titled 'The Comparison Trap and How to Avoid It'.
His presentation will go for about six or seven minutes.
"With what we do in footy, it's competition," the hard-working forward explained.
"You obviously compete for two points on the weekend, but within that, you're competing for spots in a team, contracts ... It's about trying to give your all and do your best without getting too caught up in what others are doing, which isn't easy.
"I'm trying to relate it to the rest of the world, because I'd argue that's even harder with social media now. I'm using some of my experiences in not only footy, but also life, personal things as well, and then trying to help people in the audience that aren't footy players relate to it ... There are similarities in everybody's life."
Now at the tail-end of a lengthy recovery from the ACL injury he suffered last August, McInnes has enjoyed the challenge of preparing for his TEDx Talk.
"My partner (Rachel) was the one that really pushed me to do it," he said.
"She knows what I'm like and with this rehab process, it's been frustrating. She knew that I probably needed some other things to try and keep my mind off it.
"I'm doing this to push myself. If there's a good message and people like it and think I speak well, then I'll be really humbled by that. But I'm not too arrogant to think that I've got the coolest story in the world and people need to hear it."
Tickets are available online for the inaugural TEDxSutherland. It's hoped the event on April 17 will be the first of many editions in the local area.
"As the organiser, bringing TEDxSutherland to the Shire for the first time is incredibly exciting, and having Cameron McInnes on the lineup makes it even more meaningful," said TEDxSutherland licensee and curator Katrina Harte.
"He's one of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks' most respected leaders, and this is a rare opportunity to hear the mindset behind his leadership beyond the field."
CLICK HERE to learn more about TEDxSutherland.
