Inspirational adventurer Elise Downing made headlines when she became the first woman and youngest person to run self-supported around the coast of Great Britain in 2016. Aged 24, she completed the 5,000-mile challenge over the course of ten months, covering up to 40 miles per day and carrying her kit on her back. It’s almost impossible to overstate just how unprepared Elise was for this journey. With zero ultra-running experience, being unable to read a map and having never done any solo adventuring before, she was completely unqualified to embark on such a challenge. But what she discovered was that all she really needed to know was how to take the first step - the rest she could figure out as she went, with the help of the hundreds of strangers she met along the way.
To share the journey of her impressive feat, Elise became the author of her best-selling memoir Coasting. A highly revered book, Elise was awarded recognition as one of the Best Sports Books of 2021 by The Times, and was also long-listed for Sports Book of the Year 2021 by William Hill. The book was commended by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who stated that the book was ‘a true Great British adventure, with humour and heart’.Elise’s highly relatable account of her adventure aims to show that you don’t have to be the best or most talented person to succeed – you simply have to be the one who dares to have a go and doesn’t give up. This is the same message Elise shares in her talks, where she’ll use tales from her adventure to inspire your audience to face their own challenges.
Engaging audiences with her trademark humour and honesty, Elise is the perfect speaker if you’re looking for inspiration to dream big and persevere through challenging times. She is a highly versatile speaker ideal for corporate conferences, public speaking engagements and educational establishments. Themes she can speak on include: overcoming self-doubt and imposter syndrome, the power of community and social media, the redemptive properties of outdoor adventure to improve mental health and wellbeing, choosing adventure everyday and carving out a non-traditional career path.
Whether you’re looking to inspire the next generation of endurance runners or empower your audience to achieve any seemingly impossible goal, don’t hesitate in hiring Elise Downing today.
In February 2023 we sat down virtually with Elise Downing and discussed how she became the first woman to run a lap of Great Britain and the biggest hurdle she faced on her journey. Watch our Exclusive Interview with Elise Downing.
Social Media
Books
Coasting: Running Around the Coast of Great Britain - Life, Love and (Very) Loose Plans
How to hire Elise Downing
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Elise Downing 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.
Elise Downing's official speaking topics are listed below:
Achieving 'impossible' goals - We spend so much time worrying about being good enough. But there are thousands of faster, fitter, more talented runners out there than Elise - she just happens to be the one who dared to have a go at running 5,000 miles. Providing the inspiration to dream big, Elise will talk about letting go of comparison in order to take those first steps towards a seemingly impossible goal and offer actionable advice on breaking overwhelming tasks down and maintaining motivation even when you really want to quit.
The power of community and the positive impact of social media - Elise embarked on a solo adventure but it turned out to be anything but. Along the way, she was helped by literally hundreds of complete strangers who ran with her, gave her a bed for the night and delivered cake to the trail. She talks about the power of connection and the positive impact of social media to bring people together.
Choosing adventure every day for better mental wellbeing - The main thing Elise knew when she finished running around the coast was that, while it had been an incredible experience, she didn't want to go on another ten-month run. She talks about embracing the outdoors on a smaller scale and bringing more adventure into your everyday life, focusing on being present rather than always chasing the Next Big Thing and the huge positive impact this approach has had on her own mental health.
Creating a career in adventure - Elise can talk to your audience about what it's like to forge a non-traditional career path. With refreshing honesty, she'll speak about turning your passion into a job, the pros and cons of a portfolio career and overcoming imposter syndrome to carve out a life you love.
Sustainable adventuring - Elise's next book is a guidebook of car-free adventures in the UK, aiming to improve access to the outdoors while lessening the environmental impact of our favourite adventures. She will share with your audience the importance of protecting wild spaces and the power of adventuring close to home in order to lessen our environmental footprints.
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events:
"Elise is a charismatic, engaging and witty speaker. At the National Running Show 2018, Elise was one of our most popular speakers and a real draw for visitors. She is a joy to work with." - Mike, CEO, National Running Show (NEC)
"Elise was the highlight of the event. Engaging, inspiring, authentic and hilarious." - Raoul, Director, Flume Training
"Elise came to The Ministry of Clean to share her incredible story with the team. Elise was very relatable, and extremely engaging and told her story in a very humorous way. We loved it! The office has since set up a weekly run club having felt so motivated by Elise to get out and run." - Sophie, EA, People Against Dirty (Ecover + Method)
"It was a great honour having Elise speak at Oratory Preparatory School. Her achievements are immense and [she's] a funny and engaging speaker too. We loved having her." - Rob, Headteacher, Oratory Preparatory School
"Having Elise in our whole school assembly was inspirational! She answered questions brilliantly and her enthusiasm and desire to do something to really push herself was a pleasure to see and hear. The staff and pupils were in awe and talked about Elise long after the assembly. Incredible." - James, Headteacher, Hamworthy Park Junior School
"Elise Downing is a comedy genius and has a heart of gold! Her self-deprecating humour makes her talk one of my favourites ever." - Danny, Founder, Project Awesome + One Run Global
"We were delighted that Elise agreed to be involved in the Run Rabbit Trail Festival where she spoke about her running adventures. She really threw herself into the spirit of things and was engaging and funny. We can’t recommend her highly enough." - Brian, Founder, Race Harborough and Thump Events
