About

I am Phoenix.

I'm Sacha Dekker. I speak, coach, consult, and write, mostly about resilience, learning, and being human at work.

Dutch by birth, Irish by choice. Living in Dun Laoghaire with my dog Mojo, who you can meet over there.

Sacha laughing as her dog Mojo nuzzles her face

The short version

How I got here.

I am Phoenix because I had to be.

In 2015 a surgery that was supposed to be rather straightforward went wrong and left me paralysed down my left side. The doctors told me my life as I knew it was over and that I would spend the rest of it in a wheelchair, in a nursing home, unable to walk, work, or live independently again. I was very stubborn, and decided differently, setting a goal to walk on the Great Wall of China. Willpower, resilience, an amazing team of physiotherapists, and people who believed me when I said I wasn't done, got me to where I am today.

Eleven months after the surgery I was back at work. Five months after that, I was promoted. Two years after the surgery, I walked on the Great Wall of China.

That journey and the resilience needed to get here, as well as the obstacles I faced along the way, is what I now build my work around. Not only the big rocks we climb but also the pebbles that threaten to trip us up.

The full version of the story, what it felt like in the moment, the lessons I learned that still help me, and the choices that got me here, that's the keynote.

Sacha standing in front of her wheelchair, holding notes, in a rehabilitation room
Standing independently for at least ten minutes was a key goal as I wanted to go back to facilitating learning programmes. Achieving it was a proud moment.

Where I am now

Stage. Page. Coaching room. Boardroom.

My work spans four channels these days. I keynote conferences, MC events, and lead panels. I coach senior leaders through transitions and people rebuilding their careers after a break. I consult with companies on learning strategy, leadership development, psychological safety, and disability ERG set up. I also write a guest column for the Irish Times on resilience and all things disability awareness.

Outside of work, I live in Dun Laoghaire with Mojo. I walk a lot, partly because I can again, partly because I like to. On the day I was able to stand independently for the first time, two months after the surgery, I made a list of goals. At the top was the Great Wall of China, and second was walking the Camino. In October 2026, I'll graduate with an Executive MBA from Dublin City University, and I'm already thinking of what I want to learn about next. When I can't be outside, I love building Lego, and you can send me tips for a good book anytime. I grew up in the Netherlands and have lived in Geneva and South Africa before making Ireland home in 2012.

Sacha on the Great Wall of China, arms raised, holding her own hands above her head, smiling
The Great Wall of China, two years after surgery.
Sacha on the Camino in Galicia, leaning on a walking stick beside a stone marker with the yellow shell symbol, wearing an AFO ankle brace
Achieving goals and placing pebbles along the way.

The book

Climbing the Rocks and Tripping over the Pebbles

I've spent the last few years writing my first book. It's the long version of the rebuild, what led up to it, and what it taught me about what the world calls resilience. It's also a book about the strange comedy of trying to be a person in a body that doesn't always cooperate, and about why the small obstacles tend to take you out before the big ones do. It's about resilience, the real kind, not the Instagram version.

The manuscript is finished. I'm currently querying agents. If you're a publisher reading this, hi. If you're a reader, more news soon.

Press & media

Where to find me elsewhere.

Irish Times columns

October 2025

Resilience isn't inspirational, it's crawling out of a hell you never thought you'd be in

Read the column →
December 2024

If you don't know any disabled people either you don't know that many people or they don't feel safe enough to tell you

Read the column →

Podcasts & interviews

Newstalk · Younified with Mamobo Ogoro

Resilience and mindset expert Sacha Dekker

Listen →
The Irish Times · The Women's Podcast

Ep 542: Public shaming and period poverty

Listen →
Magic Minds Podcast

Episode 7: You either get bitter or you get better

Listen →
Change Unfiltered

S1 Ep6: Life After Layoffs: How 2 Leaders Rebuilt Work, Identity and Self-Worth

Listen →

Let's talk

What's the conversation?

Whether it's a stage, a coaching room, or a piece of consulting work, the first step is the same. Tell me what you're trying to do.

Book a chat Speaking Coaching Consulting