10 Popular Explorer & Adventurer Speakers for Your Event

If you’re looking for a unique story, look no further than an adventurer and explorer.

These speakers are not only fantastic storytellers but inspiring individuals, teaching us about the power of perseverance, curiosity, and taking small steps in the pursuit of dreams.

From the freezing cold Antarctic and Poles to mammoth oceans and vast, dry deserts, our explorers and adventurers have covered literally every corner of the globe - and beyond!

Now, they share their stories to audiences worldwide to entertain, educate and show how different skills can be transferred into the workplace. Not everything can be taught in an office!

Whether it’s leadership, motivation or teamwork, our adventure and exploration keynote speakers will inspire you to reach new heights (quite literally)!

The Power of Explorer & Adventurer Speakers

Hearing a truly unique story can move you in more ways than one. Whether you’re inspired to climb a mountain, work on boosting your confidence or go for that promotion at work, hearing about someone’s fantastic accomplishments can give you that extra little push you need to take the first step.

Although you may not be quite up for swimming as far as Diana Nyad, or scaling the side of the world’s tallest buildings like Alain Robert, simply taking small steps to work towards a larger goal is a great place to start!

All our adventurers and explorers bring unique perspectives and experiences that will not only captivate and engage your audience, but they’ll also remember the thrilling story and visuals they share.

What Makes a Great Adventure Speaker?

There are so many crucial elements that, when combined, create a brilliant adventure story, told by an even better speaker.

Firstly, and most importantly, deciding to go out and actually execute the expedition is phenomenal. Whether it goes according to plan or not, making it back home to tell the tale is more than enough.

The next step is perfecting your storytelling skills. It’s great that you’ve accomplished a once in a lifetime expedition, but are you able to recount it to audiences in a way that engages them? Giving them key takeaways that they can apply in their own professional and personal lives is a great bonus, as audiences may struggle to resonate with you otherwise. Some key qualities that make a great storyteller include enthusiasm, empowerment and authenticity.

It’s important to remember that your story must be tailored to the relevant audience, as you’ll begin to lose participant interest if they fail to see how it’s relevant to themselves. Is the event focusing on leadership, teamwork or motivation? Depending on the purpose of the event, your takeaways and highlights may have to be tweaked.

Credentials showcase reliability and validate your integrity. Mentioning these at the start or end of your talk, or even simply having visuals of them on your presentation, highlights not only you, but your story. Showcasing these also helps the audience trust you, as we’re naturally a sceptical species, and some may need some extra proof in the pudding!

Below we’ve highlighted some amazing adventurers who have achieved phenomenal explorations. We’re in awe of their work and having heard their stories, whilst we’re not quite ready to climb Everest or go to space, we’ve certainly looked at life a little differently since being inspired by them all...

Pen Hadow

After catapulting to international fame when he became the first person to complete one of the last great polar challenges – solo, without re-supply, from Canada to the North Pole, Pen’s story headline in The Times was voted as one of the Top 100 Newspaper Front Pages of the 20th century.

In 2015, after 15 years and 3 previous attempts, Pen made the ultimate journey of exploration – the first solo crossing on foot of the Arctic Ocean via the North Pole.

Sharing his story of commitment and peak performance, Pen is now dedicated to the United Nations process that will advance protection for the wildlife and ecosystem in the international waters around the North Pole.

He motivates audiences with his ‘never give up’ attitude to life and incredible resilience to achieving his dreams!

Ash Dykes

World-renowned explorer and extreme athlete, Ash has completed a 4,000-mile hike along the Yangtze River and walking the entire length of Madagascar!

He’s not only set multiple world records, but has also become a dedicated environmental advocate, garnering global recognition.

A one-of-a-kind individual with one-of-a-kind experiences, his commitment to his expeditions is unparalleled.

Tim Peake

The first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station, UK National Treasure Tim Peake, has captured the hearts and minds of millions.

His Army background led him to search for more out of this world ventures, with Tim being selected as an ESA astronaut in 2009 and launching into space in 2015. Whilst away from earth, he took part in over 250 scientific experiments, conducted a spacewalk, helped dock two spacecrafts and ran the London Marathon from the ISS, all whilst actively remaining connected to us earthlings!

A truly inspirational leader and fantastic motivator, Tim regularly talks about the importance of collaboration, managing fear and risk, and Peak(e) performance.

Aldo Kane

Former Royal Marines Commando Sniper, now the go-to TV and Film adventurer, Aldo has experienced it all.

After being held at gunpoint, charged at by a black rhino, abseiling into an active volcano and rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, you’d like Aldo would like some rest – not for him!

Having taken Hollywood superstars like Tom Hardy, Adrien Brody and Henry Cavill in some of the world’s most extreme environments, Aldo’s inquisitive mind and extremely unique skill set makes him a fascinating individual. You can only imagine some of the incredible stories he has to share, and the lessons he’s learnt.

Bonita Norris

Not only is Bonita the youngest British woman to reach the top of Mount Everest, she accomplished her dream with no previous climbing experience.

From novice climber to (pretty much) the top of the world, Bonita shares her rocky journey as a 22-year-old with a big dream. Since Everest, she’s also skied to the North Pole, led charity teams and climbed a total of 5 Himalayan peaks – three of which are over 8000m high!

Bonita believes in the importance of curiosity and shares her emotional story, along with her journey with self-believe and how you can push yourself outside of your comfort zone.

Claire Lomas

Claire’s life turned upside down in 2007 when she became paralysed from the chest down in a horse-riding accident.

Determined to overcome adversity and make the best out of the situation, Claire found the strength and courage to rebuild her life. She’s the first paralysed person to walk the London Marathon, using a pioneering robotic suit. The race took her 17 days and she raised an incredible £210,000 for Spinal Research.

Her adventures didn’t stop there, as she walked the Great North Run in her bionic suit and also took part in a 400-mile handcycle challenge around England, visiting schools along the way and fundraising another £85,000.

The definition of inspirational, Claire has proven that in the face of the harshest adversity, you can still persevere and achieve unimaginable goals.

Ellen MacArthur

Dame Ellen MacArthur became the youngest sailor to make it around the world in a yacht race, not to mention she’s also one of the youngest people to be awarded an MBE!

Known for her charismatic personability, unparalleledled ambition and prized oratorial skills, Ellen is one of the UK’s best loved personalities who has turned her lessons learned at sea into invaluable business messages.

Her innovative and determined approach to life is infectious and leaves audiences wanting to hear more, motivating them achieve big goals! She’s on a mission to spread environmental awareness with passion, determination and charm.

Bear Grylls

The one and only Bear Grylls does what no man has done before. Whether it’s eating live insects, drinking his own urine for survival or exploring the world’s most dangerous places, Bear is the UK’s resident wilderness presenter and another UK National Treasure.

His infamous TV show Man vs. Wild solidified Bear as a household name loved by kids and adults alike. He actively engages with getting the younger generation outside and active, being the UK’s youngest Chief Scout when he was appointed back in 2009 (he was 34 at the time).

The nicest man who is incredibly humble given all of his unprecedented achievements, Bear inspires, motivates and uplifts his audiences to be brave and follow their dreams!

Helen Sharman

The first British Astronaut who spent 8 days orbiting the Earth in the MIR Space Station, Helen didn’t think she’d get selected out of 13,000 applicants – boy, was she wrong! Helen was selected and in 1991, she left the Earth to live and work on the MIR Space Station.

She’s a firm believer that “We should push forward, not only our individual boundaries, but also the boundaries of what humans believe is possible.”

Now a full-time scientist, pioneer, and role model (especially for younger women), Helen was awarded her OBE in 1993 and speaks about her (literally) out of this world experience as an astronaut, teamwork, leadership, communication and motivation.

Ben Keene

Award winning social entrepreneur, Co-Founder and Keynote Speaker Ben Keene is an expert in aiding start-ups, building communities and adventuring!

He's helped thousands of individuals and organisations create meaningful work, whether that’s through starting an impacting business, building an exciting career out of your passion or growing a purposeful community.

One of the most passionate, kind and exciting individuals, Ben has a million and one great stories to tell.

How to Choose the Right Speaker for Your Event

In order to choose the right adventurer and explorer for your event, there’s a simple checklist we can follow to help narrow down your options:

1 – Identify your Event Goals

Understanding this will massively help you narrow down your options. Do you want to motivate, educate or entertain your audience? Once this has been decided, take another look at who ticks this box.

2 – Match the Speaker to the Audience

Ensuring that the speaker and the audience gel together is crucial. If the speaker is unsuitable to the audience, not only will the audience possibly be bored and unengaged, but the speaker will have a tough time too! Playing matchmaker here is crucial, so think about the demographics of those who will be hearing the speaker and play into the strengths of both parties to ensure a successful event.

3 – Consider the Event Format

Will it be a keynote speech, interactive workshop or a panel discussion? Some speakers may be better suited to a keynote speech rather than an interactive Q&A, so when this has been decided, it can help narrow down your speaker options, as it’s best to play to the speaker’s strengths!

Booking an Explorer or Adventurer Speaker with Speakers Corner

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to booking a speaker for an event, this is where we come in to help!

Once you have the previously mentioned event checklist finalised, your dedicated Account Manager will consider everything given and curate a bespoke list of suitable explorers and adventurers who would be the perfect fit for your event.

Our customised speaker recommendations based on your event needs means that your event will not only be a success, but the audience will be talking about it in the following weeks.

See some of our adventurers here, although we have many, many more available, so do get in touch with our friendly team today on +44 (0)20 7607 7070 or email us at info@speakerscorner.co.uk