Overcoming Adversity Speakers
Every organisation faces setbacks. How people respond in those moments, whether through change, pressure, loss or uncertainty, can shape confidence, culture and long term performance.
If you are looking to book overcoming adversity speakers who can connect real experience to meaningful insight, our adversity speakers are selected for their honesty, credibility and ability to make powerful stories relevant to your audience.
They share personal experiences of setback, recovery and growth, translating them into practical lessons your audience can take back to their teams, careers and everyday decisions, whether you are planning a conference, leadership event or company wide session.company-widecompany-wide. There’s nothing more uplifting and motivational for an audience than a leading adversity speaker sharing their experiences of overcoming adversity. Teaching key lessons everyone can apply to both their business and personal lives, now more important than ever as teams adjust to the ‘new normal’.
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A A: £25k and over Leading robotics expert known for her groundbreaking research in the field of robotics ethics, Kate Darling shares incredible insights on human-robot interaction, robot ethics, and the ways robots will impact society in the near-term future.
E E: £2k-£5k Kate Philp, the first British female to lose a limb in combat, is a decorated military leader, inspiring speaker, coach, and author, known for her resilience and leadership expertise.
C C: £10k-£15k 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.
E E: £2k-£5k Dr Kehinde Andrews is Professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University whose research focuses on resistance racism, racism and movements for social change. He advised a number of corporations on equality and diversity issues. Kehinde is founder of the Harambee Organisation of Black Unity; editor-in-chief of Make it Plain.
E E: £2k-£5k Olympic & Paralympic athletics coach Keith Antoine’s focus is on performance improvement, of individuals and teams. He was a personal coach Paralympic gold and silver medalists in London 2012 and Rio 2016.
E E: £2k-£5k Kellie has enjoyed a successful career managing boxers and has become an inspirational transgender figure since her reassignment surgery in 2014. Her story of resilience and sincerity makes her a perfect motivational speaker.
B B: £15k- £25k Mental health advocate and World, Commonwealth, European medals and Double Olympic Gold winner Dame Kelly Holmes is one of Britain’s most recognisable and admired athletes.
D D: £5k-£10k Kenton Cool is acknowledged as one of the World's great high altitude leaders and has summited Mount Everest on 19 occasions and climbed extensively all over the world.
D D: £5k-£10k Dr Kevin Fong OBE has worked as a doctor with NASA and currently flies as part of a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) crew in the UK. As of March 2020, Kevin was seconded to NHS England COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness Resilience & Response team.
E E: £2k-£5k Laura Hearn is a BBC journalist and TV News producer, and regularly speaks about her experience of recovery from mental ill health, and how she learnt to heal from an eating disorder.
E E: £2k-£5k Being young and blind has not hindered business lady extraordinaire, Liz Jackson, achieving great success with her company Great Guns Marketing.
E E: £2k-£5k Liz Johnson is a former Team GB Paralympic gold medallist with a charismatic personality and a truly inspiring story to boot. Since she retired from the swimming team, Liz has become a prominent speaker on the corporate circuit and is co-founder of The Ability People, an employment agency staffed exclusively by people with impairments.
D D: £5k-£10k Lord Chris Holmes, one of Britain’s greatest Paralympic swimmers, has won nine gold, five silver and two bronze medals across four Games, and served as Director of Paralympic Integration at London 2012.
E E: £2k-£5k Maajid Nawaz is a prominent counter-extremism consultant and a regular writer, debater and public commentator.
E E: £2k-£5k Maggie Alphonsi, celebrated international women’s rugby player and media professional, has become a trailblazing figure in sports and diversity, achieving significant milestones in both her athletic and post-retirement careers.
E E: £2k-£5k Following the amputation of his left leg, competitive swimmer Marc Woods got back in the pool and went on to win a raft of Paralympic, World and Euro Championships medals.
D D: £5k-£10k Mental health expert Mark Henick helps audiences better understand subjects around mental illness and suicide.
E E: £2k-£5k Martine Wright lost both legs in the 7/7 London bombings, yet she considers herself lucky. She was honoured with the BBC Helen Rollason Award Sports Personality of the Year 2012 award.
E E: £2k-£5k Martyn Dawes, founder of Coffee Nation and entrepreneur was always destined to do things his own way. As a keynote speaker he is inspirational and charismatic.
C C: £10k-£15k As the first non-Japanese head of the century-old camera manufacturer Olympus, Michael Woodford’s unearthing of significant financial irregularities led to the termination of his post, and to an international scandal.
D D: £5k-£10k A gifted and motivated speaker, Michel Chikwanine has experienced civil war, political upheaval & poverty having been forced to leave his home country at the age of 11 as a refugee.
E E: £2k-£5k Digital content creator and motivational speaker Milly Pickles fired herself to internet superstardom at the start of the pandemic after posting videos on TikTok documenting life as a disabled athlete and amputee.
E E: £2k-£5k Mohsin Zaidi is a criminal barrister, an advocate for LGBT rights, BAME representation and social mobility and is on the board of Stonewall. His memoir, 'A Dutiful Boy', has been named a Guardian, GQ and New Statesman Book of the Year.
D D: £5k-£10k Natalia Cohen was part of the first all-female team to row unsupported across the Pacific Ocean.
Overcoming Adversity Speakers blogs
Advice & FAQs about Overcoming Adversity Speakers
Submit your event details via our enquiry form. The more information you can share about the audience, the aims and objectives of the session and the overall event, the easier it will be for our team to recommend the perfect adversity speaker. Either way, we’ll get back to you within an hour to guide you on availability, fees, and how the speaker can tailor their talk to your audience.
Our adversity speakers share their powerful stories of overcoming hardship that life has thrown at them: illness, loss, change or personal struggle. Their talks focus on resilience, mindset, emotional strength and the ability to find purpose and growth through difficult times. Their sessions are inspiring, while keeping it real and human, helping audiences reflect on their own challenges and build inner strength.
Yes. Many adversity speakers use their experiences as a lens to explore broader topics, including leadership under pressure, navigating change, wellbeing, and mental resilience. They draw clear parallels between their experiences and organisational growth, offering practical tools and inspiration that help others to thrive even in uncertain circumstances.
Our adversity speakers are a strong choice for conferences, wellbeing initiatives, staff engagement events, or awareness days such as Mental Health Awareness Week. Their talks work particularly well as mid-event sessions to refocus and reconnect audiences, or as closing sessions that leave a lasting emotional impact and sense of perspective.
We represent a diverse range of adversity speakers who’ve faced and overcome extraordinary challenges - from life-changing injuries and illness to personal setbacks and moments of resilience under pressure. Each brings a powerful, authentic perspective designed to inspire and uplift audiences. We’ll work with you to find the right speaker for your audience, who will enhance your event and make it unforgettable. Take a look at our blog: Top 10 Adversity Speakers for Your Event to see some of the amazing speakers we work with.
Have an enquiry?
We work with over 12,000 speakers, so if someone has caught your eye, or you would like to hear our expert recommendations, send us a message online and we'll respond within the hour (during business hours). Alternatively, call us on
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