Keynote Presentations

Chess offers inspiring and powerful presentations on leadership, nature, connection, yoga, wellbeing and outdoor education. She also presents Maven Film, a 31 minute adventure film produced by and featuring her community in the Snowy Mountains of NSW with discussion prompts and journalling activities to encourage her audiences to explore more.

Presentation Foundations

Customisable to your Audience

  • Maven Film

    MAVEN is a 31 minute documentary set on Ngarigo Country in the Snowy Mountains of NSW. This film, directed and shot by Divya Gordon, features athlete Chess Smee and other members of an adventurous alpine community. It captures a different perspective on exploration, both of the backcountry and of oneself. Proudly supported by Arc’teryx and Nikon.

  • Ikigai

    A Japanese concept roughly translating to "a reason for being". It represents the intersection of what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. It blends passion, mission, vocation, and profession to foster a fulfilling life. Presented with journalling activities and prompts to inspire audiences to identify and embrace their unique gifts to share with the world.

  • Nature & Connection

    Encouraging audiences to spend more time in nature, engage in outdoor education and community sport. Exploring the impacts of the outdoors on mental health, social skills and connection to self, others and the environment.

  • Yoga & Wellbeing

    A path to presence and peace. An invaluable element of one’s toolkit to support study, anxiety and stress management.

  • Leadership

    Developing leadership skills with courage, curiosity and compassion. Target audience: High School Students.

  • Career Advice

    Forging a career in ecotourism or outdoor education. Pathways into and progression within a dynamic industry.

  • Lessons from the Arctic

    Living aboard a sailing boat in Northern Norway and ski mountaineering in the Lyngen Alps. This is a story-telling presentation with striking images from the Arctic. Key lessons include teamwork and communication.

  • Lessons from Mexico

    Stories from backpacking and surfing in central America. Key Lessons include random acts of kindness, transcending language barriers and the re-evaluation of material possessions in one’s life.

Contact

Mic Doyle

Scouts NSW State Commissioner Adventure Training, Army Veteran, Outdoor Industry Leadership Instructor and Mountain Guide

“Chess is an inspiring and talented young lady, with a clear vision for promoting opportunities to share skills and knowledge as a vehicle to enabling others to get out into the mountains, build self-belief and appreciate wild places. Her engaging storytelling, raw honesty, humility and electric smile set her apart in demonstrating the enthusiasm she has for helping others to realise their goals. Using her humble beginnings, deeply centred respect for the natural environment, diverse life experiences and dedication to personal accomplish as a strong example of how life goals can be realised as a result of focus, determination and perseverance.

Chess is highly talented in fostering youth confidence and accomplishment in the outdoors. Her judgement as a mountain guide and instructional abilities are ever reliable and dependable. She is a strong role model, who is passionate for assuring safety, while encouraging challenge and promoting fun in the alpine environment. A decisive, inclusive and supportive person, with limitless energy devoted to actively promoting opportunities for women and girls of all ages to take a leap of faith to realise their dreams and believe in themselves.”

Phoebe Appleby

Mont Adventure Equipment - Head of Marketing & Brand Development

“At Mont, we are proud to support individuals who inspire positive change in the outdoors. Recently, we had the privilege of welcoming Chess Smee as a speaker at our Backcountry Ski Night. As the central figure in Maven, a powerful film celebrating women in the backcountry, Chess shared her story with humility, strength, and insight, leaving a lasting impression on everyone in the room.

Through her deep experience in the backcountry and her commitment to empowering others, Chess continues to lead by example. In an industry where representation is still evolving, Chess is helping shift the narrative, offering a powerful, visible example of what it means to pursue bold objectives with integrity, care, and skill. Her voice and presence have had a personal impact on many of us at Mont.

We’re grateful to Chess for her leadership and for contributing to a more inclusive, informed, and inspired backcountry community.”