Amar Latif is a blind traveller, entrepreneur and television presenter with an astonishing track record of facing up to major challenges. Due to an incurable eye condition, Amar lost 95% of his sight by the age of 18. Through sheer determination, he has managed to turn an unpromising tale of loss, into one of inspirational achievement. Amar became known to millions through the groundbreaking BBC2 reality series, Beyond Boundaries, a jungle endurance expedition across Central America. Screened worldwide, this was a gruelling 220-mile trek on foot across the rugged interior of Nicaragua, from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast. Amar had to ford swollen rivers, cut through dense jungle, cross waterfalls, climb a 5,000 ft. active volcano and navigate the second-largest lake in Latin America.
Most recently, Amar took part in Celebrity MasterChef, their first blind contestant, reaching the semi-final and the final six of the competition, attracting a legion of fans along the way. 2019 saw him team up with comedian Sara Pascoe in Travelling Blind to lead this BBC documentary through some of Turkey's most famous attractions, all in the name of showing Sara (and the hundreds of thousands of viewers who tuned in to join them) exactly how much there is to be gained by stepping out of your comfort zone and opening yourself up to new ways of seeing the world. In 2004, Amar founded Traveleyes, the world’s first commercial tour operator to specialise in holidays for blind as well as sighted travellers.
Traveleyes has opened the holiday travel industry to millions of blind and partially sighted people around the world, giving them the opportunity to walk with lions in Africa, sail the Ionian Sea and ski down Europe’s highest mountains. For his entrepreneurial achievements, Amar received The Outstanding Young Person of the World accolade (Business / Entrepreneurial category) from the Chamber of Commerce International and the prestigious Stelios Disabled Entrepreneur Award, presented by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. Most recently, in 2023, Amar was appointed OBE for his Services to the Visually Impaired and Entrepreneurship, along with being appointed as the President of The Ramblers - the Ramblers Association walking charity.
Amar works with schools around the world taking students on a wide range of travel adventures whilst having them describe the sights to other blind travellers. By broadening the mindset of young people today, Amar hopes to create a more accessible world for those with vision impairment in the future. In presentations, Amar shows that determination and the right attitude can take you far in life. He has spoken for audiences from around the world, from Goldman Sachs and Lloyds Banking to the United Nations - making Champions Speakers take pride in being an official speaker representative for Amar Latif. If you are looking for an inspirational speaker to share their moving story of drive, determination and perseverance, hire Amar Latif today.
In recognition of his continued dedication when faced with adversity, Amar Latif was recently honoured as one of the Exclusive Top 15 Overcoming Adversity Speakers - a testament to the adversity that he has already taken in his stride and overcome.
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Reviews
Amar Latif received a 5 star rating across 10 events in 2023
Agent Recommendation
"Amar Latif, a remarkable blind traveller and entrepreneur, is an exceptional motivational speaker. His inspirational journey, overcoming immense challenges and achieving incredible feats, captivates and empowers audiences, making him a perfect choice for any event seeking to inspire and motivate."
How to hire Amar Latif
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Amar Latif for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do not accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
Amar Latif's official speaking topics are listed below:
- Entrepreneurship
- Motivation & Inspiration
- Inclusive Design
- World Travel
- Equality & Diversity
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"The event was truly amazing and Amar blew everyone away. Here's some feedback from those that attended: 'Absolutely brilliant, truly inspiring. Have watched him on Masterchef and it was brilliant to listen to his story', 'Amar is an amazing person who shared great things', 'I was absolutely blown away by Amar Latif's story. He is such an inspiration to us all', 'Amar you're so inspiring, I could listen to you all day. (Brought tears to my eyes). Thank you so much for sharing your story. I love how you make every day count', 'Such an inspiration! I have loved hearing from him, so thank you. He has such a positive attitude to life! I particularly enjoyed the closing of your own eyes segment too!'. Thank you for your support in enabling Amar to join us. I don't know how we'll top this for any future events" - Karen, Divisional Communications Manager, Capita Experience
"This has been the most inspiring and touching presentation I have ever experienced in my twenty-five years of working in this company.” - HR Director, BT
"I cannot thank you enough. I can say with confidence that Amar’s speech was the highlight of the day for many - I believe it is going to be something that people will be talking about for a long time!" - Allergan
"Amar’s speech ‘Obstacles! I Can’t See Any Obstacles’ was a hugely inspiring keynote address, which was both motivational and uplifting. We have received extremely positive feedback from audience members, with a number being so touched by his personal story that they would be keen to see him come back to Goldman Sachs in the future so that he can share his story with a wider audience. Most pleasing is the fact that it has now inspired a number of individuals to become more actively involved in forwarding the disability agenda at Goldman Sachs." - Global Diversity Manager, Goldman Sachs
"I wanted to thank you for speaking to us at Barclays Capital. It was great to meet you and we have had some really positive feedback from the attendees, all of whom found your talk incredibly motivating. As a result we have boosted our Disability Awareness Forum membership significantly and we will be able to build on this for future events.” - Equality & Diversity Director, Barclays Capital
"Thank you, Amar, for sharing your story with us today during the Impact Conference. You were thoroughly engaging, even from thousands of kilometres away." - IMPACT Conference, IMPACT Canada Travel and Tourism Conference
"To say it was inspiring doesn’t do Amar justice. Not only did he bring to life some of the challenges he has faced and the accessibility pitfalls many organisations fall into but did so with such humour and charisma that his audience was totally won over. He shows that determination and the right attitude can take you far in life. Inspiring!" - Educational Collaborative for International Schools, MLIE Conference
"A very big personal thank you for your presentation at our dinner on Friday night. Your speech contained a good mix of humour with a powerful message of tenacity. We asked for a presentation about entrepreneurship, being a Scot and coming back to Scotland. This was all delivered in a very relaxed and professional fashion. We have had a lot of feedback from our audience commending us on the choice of speaker." - President, Ayrshire Chamber Of Commerce
"Your words have crystallized the resolve felt and strengthened at this UN Convention, and your wonderful words, your poetry and your humour have challenged us to make the speakers podium accessible to everyone. Thank you for providing such an inspiring close to our proceedings." - United Nations Convention, Addis Ababa
"Amar was absolutely brilliant, and the feedback was amazing from all the attendees who found him super inspiring." - Charis, Global ERG & Inclusion Manager, Imperial Brands
- 2023 - Appointed as the President of The Ramblers
- 2023 - Appointed OBE for Services to the Visually Impaired & Entrepreneurship
- 2022 - Presenter of the "Appeal for Rafiki Thabo Foundation" for BBC Radio 4
- 2021 - Starred in "Pilgrimage: The Road to Istanbul" for BBC One
- 2020 - Appointed as a Patron of SeeAbility
- 2020 - Competede as the first blind contestant on Celebrity MasterChef
- 2019 - Named the winner of the Single Documentary category at the Royal Television Society Yorkshire Centre Awards & the Best Documentary Award at the O2 Media Awards for Yorkshire & The Humber
- 2019 - Starred in the "Travelling Blind" documentary for BBC Two
- 2017 - Presenter of "How to Get Fit Fast" on Channel 4
- 2016 - Tour Guide on "The Last Leg Goes Down Under" for Channel 4
- 2007 - Awarded the Stelios Disabled Entrepreneur Award
- 2007 - Director of "Sightseeing Blind" for Channel 4
- 2006 - Named the One Vision Man of the Year & the University of Strathclyde's Alumnus of the Year
- 2005 - Winner of the Outstanding Young Business Entrepreneur of the World & Outstanding Young Person of the UK from the Junior Chamber International
- 2005 - Starred in "Beyond Boundaries" on BBC Two
- 2004 - Founder & Director of Traveleyes
- 1997 - Senior Finance Manager at BT
