Ellen MacArthur

• Photo

Topics:

• Motivation & Teamwork
• Peak Performance
• Sport
• Women

Having conquered the sea, sailing single-handed around the world in record time, Ellen  MacArthur has conquered the nation's heart and is one of the best-loved personalities of our time.  Ellen's charasmatic personality, inspirational story, amazing achievements and excellent speaking ability makes her a highly prized conference keynote speaker.  

Conference Speaker

Known for her steely ambition, professionalism and unfaltering determination to succeed, Ellen's story is not just about sailing, but one of human endeavour! Ellen MacAurthur's approach to life - her innovative thinking, the goals she set's herself and her continual success overcoming countless challenges, inspires audiences to make their innermost dreams come true!

Ellen inspires, motivates, breaks down barriers and encourages the audience to achieve their goals with her stories of living the dream, overcoming incredible difficulties, digging deep into her emotional reserves and finally achieving the impossible.

Ellen & her love of the Sea

Ellen has been captivated by the sea from the age of eight when she was taken dinghy sailing on the east coast of England by an aunt.   As a schoolgirl in landlocked Derbyshire, she spent all her spare time reading about sailing and after three years had saved up enough dinner money to buy a small dinghy.

A slightly bigger dinghy followed before in 1995, aged 18, she sailed single-handed round Britain in her 21-foot yacht Iduna. That year she was voted British Young Sailor of the Year and became the youngest person to pass the Yachtmaster Offshore Qualification.

In 2000 she set off to make history in the Vendee Globe itself, finishing second after 94 days, eight hours, 22 minutes alone in some of the most terrifying seas on earth.

In November 2002, MacArthur raced Kingfisher for the last time, once again in the gruelling Route du Rhum and won in a record time.

She then switched full time into multi-hulls, first two-handed with Frenchman Alain Gautier, and then fully-crewed in a failed attempt on the Jules Verne round-the-world record in 2003.

In February 2005 Ellen MacArthur sailed solo around the world in record time. In recognition of this amazing feat she was made a Dame.  Ellen's record is a feat of  endurance, speed and physical and mental willpower in the face of overwhelming adversity.

The Environment

In October 2009, Ellen announced that she would be giving up ocean racing to concentrate on stopping mankind destroying the environment. A trip to South Georgia after her round the world record gave Ellen her first real breathing space for a decade and time to think and reflect. It inspired her to learn more about living in a more sustainable way. Ellen is now on a mission to reduce her own energy and resource consumption. Sharing and communicating this journey to a more sustainable future is one of her big goals for the future.

Books

• Race Against Time
• Ellen MacArthur: Taking on the World: the Official Story
• Extreme Sail
• The Island Nation: a History of Britain and the Sea
• Sailing Solo: the Legendary Sailors and the Great Races 

For further information or to book Ellen MacArthur, call us at Speakers Corner on +44 (0) 20 8365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk