Overcoming Adversity: Top 10 Adversity Speakers

Adversity presents itself in a multitude of ways and affects individuals in many different forms. Everyone deals with adversity differently, with some viewing it as a catapult into a new way of life that inspires others, whilst others will struggle to cope with the new challenges they face.

There are many tips and tricks on how to overcome adversity, however working on your mental resilience is the most common practice that our speakers talk about when sharing how they have dealt or are dealing with adversity.

Definition of Adversity

What does adversity mean? Defining adversity can be tricky, due to it being quite a broad term for “unpleasant or difficult situations” that range from events such as losing a loved one, suffering from a life debilitating injury or losing a job.

Sapien Labs reported that “Across a respondent population of ~130k, 76% had experienced at least one trauma or adversity in their lifetime”.

With this broad definition, many individuals are able to speak on the subject of adversity from their unique perspective. From explorers, entrepreneurs, athletes and those who have suffered setbacks that have changed their lives, we work with (almost) every subject matter imaginable. Before we go into who we work with, and how our inspiring overcoming adversity speakers can help you, let’s take a deeper look at some different examples of adversity.

Types of Adversity

1. Personal Challenges

Personal adversities cover almost anything imaginable, from internalised self-doubt, to all of the below that we’ll dive deeper into.

When faced with times of crisis, it can be really difficult in the moment to imagine that growth will occur from it. However, it’s important to recognise that times like this are where the most fundamental growth occurs!

Post-traumatic growth occurs from personal challenges and adversity, which is when there is the experience of positive change after going through a significantly stressful event. Some signifiers of experiencing post-traumatic growth include having a renewed appreciation for life, enhanced personal strength and spiritual growth (to name a few).

This is not an uncommon theme; you may have experienced it yourself or witnessed it in someone close to you - it can be reassuring and healing to remind yourself that growth will come from your adversity, however it’s also important to remember that this doesn’t necessarily justify the adversity you have experienced.

2. Professional Setbacks

There is a multitude of ways your job can set you back, ranging from something as simple as not getting that new job you really wanted, to being made redundant and being left unemployed.

For some, missing out on that job they so desperately wanted may destroy their confidence and set them back in their career decisions, whilst for some, being made redundant acts as the kick-start they need to start a new chapter in their career.

No matter the circumstance and reaction, there are many in the same position. This is a more relatable form of adversity that a lot of people will understand and possibly even have experienced themselves!

3. Health Issues

Whilst there is a clear separation between physical health adversity and mental health adversity, it’s important to remember that there are large amounts of correlations between the pair.

Health adversity may begin at the instance of an accident that results in life-altering injuries, which then greatly impacts the patient’s mental health.

Mental health adversity appears when there is no physical change to the person, the individual may have suffered from depression, anxiety or other mental illnesses due to the natural chemical imbalance in their brain.

Whether the health adversity is mental, physical, or both, it is just as important that it’s recognised and validated. All health adversities are real, none are ‘better’ or ‘worse’ than another, and they all result in different struggles that individuals face.

4. Financial Struggles

Financial worry and stresses are something almost everyone has, or will struggle with at some point in their lives. In recent years, reports show that ‘one in ten (10%) of UK adults are feeling hopeless about financial circumstances, more than one-third (34%) feel anxious and almost three in ten (29%) feel stressed about money in the past month’.

The cost-of-living crisis has certainly put stress on a lot of individuals, with financial adversity being another common adversity that people can relate to within varying levels.

Whether it’s not being able to pay your bills, having to make smaller financial cutbacks or being left homeless, finances are a common topic of stress and worry.

5. Loss and Grief

Loss and grief are feelings that everyone will sadly experience throughout their lives. Whilst this doesn’t make it easier, it can be uplifting to know that you’re not alone during these times.

Suffering the loss of a loved one can dramatically impact your life, especially if they were a close friend or family member. Hearing an adversity speaker talk on their coping mechanisms for dealing with loss and grief can greatly help you in your healing journey, as well as equip you with tips and tricks on helping others.

6. Discrimination and Prejudice

We have come a long way; however, we’re still not doing enough to ensure equality for all, as people are still suffering from discrimination and prejudice adversity on a daily basis.

Hearing an adversity speaker share their story on discrimination and prejudice not only educates the audience on real life experiences, it can also help those who have been through the same thing feel heard. Not only this, but the speaker can educate the audience on some coping mechanisms to help them whilst experiencing these awful actions of others.

The Power of Adversity Speakers

We here at Speakers Corner work with the most incredible overcoming adversity speakers who educate, inspire and motivate their audiences.

Connecting through the power of storytelling, our adversity speakers leave lasting impacts on those who listen and engage in their talks. Every overcoming adversity speaker teaches key lessons everyone can apply to both their business and personal lives.

Below we’ve listed just 10 of our long list of overcoming adversity speakers who have experienced a form of adversity that has changed their lives.

Top 10 Adversity Speakers

Hyeonseo Lee

Hyeonseo Lee profoundly moves audiences with her inspirational tale of surviving extreme adversity. A North Korean defector living in South Korea, ‘The Girl With Seven Names’ (her 2015 memoir) has reached out to world leaders and public officials to bring the people she left behind to freedom; she powerfully discusses the rights and identity crises experienced by those who escape across borders, and motivates others with her courage and hope for the future.

Anita Asante

Anita Asante is a Former England Player and Professional Footballer who shares her passion for leadership, diversity and equality, understanding pressure, the psychology of winning, transferring skills, pressure management, working in a male environment and challenging perceptions.

Claire Lomas

Claire’s life turned upside down when she became paralysed from the chest down in a horse riding accident. Determined to make the best of the situation, since she has focused her efforts on fundraising to help the search for a cure to paralysis whilst finding ways to stay active and push herself to the limit. Claire became headline news in 2012 when she became the first person to walk the London Marathon in a robotic suit. A true inspiration that incredible things are possible even in the face of the harshest adversity, Claire shares her inspirational story on the speaking circuit.

Katie Piper

Katie Piper is a best-selling international author, inspirational speaker, TV presenter and charity campaigner who rebuilt her life after surviving a brutal sulphuric acid attack in 2008. Katie is an inspirational role model and founder of The Katie Piper Foundation, a charity for burns victims, with her bravery and determination recognised with a number of awards and accolades.

Spencer West

Visionary, Bestselling Author, World Change Warrior and keynote and motivational speaker, Spencer West shares his harrowing story of losing his legs at the age of five, and how he never lost the courage he needed to overcome personal obstacles. Filled with humour and humility, his thought-provoking message inspires people to find opportunity in every challenge.

Adam Pearson

Adam Pearson is an award-winning disability rights campaigner, actor, presenter and speaker who has spoken at events such as the World Health Innovation Summit, Public Service & Criminology Conference and British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy and has also given a TEDx talk.

Rola Hallam

Rola is an award winning consultant anaesthetist, the first Syrian TED fellow and the founder of CanDo, a humanitarian organisation supporting frontline health workers to save lives in their war-devastated communities. She has helped build 7 hospitals in Syria, including the first ever crowdfunded hospital, together reaching over 3 million people. 

Karl Lokko

Karl Lokko is a former gang leader turned activist, influencer, poet, public speaker, philanthropist and adventurer. He is undoubtedly one of the most potent young voices in the country.

Zarifa Ghafari

Zarifa Ghafari is a courageous civil rights activist who is devoted to defending women’s rights. In 2020, Zarifa was honoured by the U.S. Department of State as an “International Women of Courage”, was included in "The Badass 50 list" and received the “Women Who Can Change the World" award from InStyle. She speaks passionately about Global Politics, The Right to Education, Women's Rights, Human Rights and Afghanistan. She is an impactful speaker who uses her incredible story to transform the lives of audiences worldwide.

Jason Fox

Former Royal Marine Commando and star of C4's 'SAS: Who Dares Win', Jason Fox has led and motivated teams during numerous high-pressure operations worldwide. He has since moved into the business arena of private security and serves as a consultant to the TV and film industry. Drawing on these fascinating experiences as a keynote speaker, Jason is well-placed to demonstrate how individuals can build emotional resilience and effectively execute strategies.

Strategies for Overcoming Adversity

Our adversity speakers are the most experienced individuals who will be best to give guidance and strategies to overcome adversity. Whether you take part in one of their interactive workshops, or simply sit and listen to an engaging keynote talk on the subject, their advice is priceless.

Below we’ve listed the 4 most commonly discussed strategies for overcoming adversity, to act as a starting point for you:

1. Developing Emotional Resilience

What does resilience mean? The definition of resilience is ‘the capability to withstand or to recover quickly from difficult circumstances.’ Emotional resilience is slightly different, in that it’s your ability to respond to stressful or unexpected situations.’

Emotional resilience is something that must be worked on, trained up if you will, and our adversity speakers are well versed in teaching tactics on how to develop your emotional resilience.

2. Building Mental Toughness

How is mental toughness different to emotional resilience? Well, mental toughness is a measure of individual resilience and confidence that may predict success.

Essentially, emotional resilience falls into the wider spectrum of mental toughness. When you build mental toughness, you also develop emotional resilience, the two-work hand in hand together as a framework to help combat adversity!

3. Seeking Support

Possibly one of the hardest things to do is to seek support in a time of need. There is a lot of stigma attached to seeking support, with the worries of being seen as ‘weak’ - this is not the case at all!

Asking for support when dealing with adversity is an incredibly brave thing to do, and confiding in those around you here will help develop a stronger bond and deeper connection.

Seeking support will aid you in many aspects of your life, but when overcoming adversity having a strong support network is crucial and seeking support is a fantastic first step to take.

4. Professional Help and Counselling

This one follows on from the previous point, as it is the next step after seeking support. Taking on professional help and counselling will help you overcome your adversity in deeper ways than you imagined, think of it as a guide to help you through your journey!

Combining professional help and counselling, with seeking the support of loved ones, developing high mental toughness and emotional resilience, you will become the best version of yourself and combat adversity in the best way possible.

Learning from Adversity

This is of course a lot easier said than done, but turning challenges into opportunities is the best way to overcome adversity. Cultivating a growth mindset, with the help of our inspiring overcoming adversity speakers, will help you learn from your adversity and become the best new version of yourself!

Email, phone or live chat; no matter your preferred method, we’re available at the other end of the line! Get in touch with us via email at info@speakerscorner.co.uk or give us a call at +44 (0) 207 607 7070 to find out more about our inspiring overcoming adversity speakers.

You can browse all our featured adversity speakers on our website, but do get in touch as we work with many, many more!