"What Geoff achieved was quite extraordinary and took an awful amount of courage." - Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne
"Your voyage was nothing short of exceptional, but to me, that journey is simply a reflection of you." - Dame Ellen MacArthur
Geoff Holt is a record-setting yachtsman, international speaker and award-winning entrepreneur, having been the first quadriplegic yachtsman to sail solo around Great Britain. Although Geoff was paralysed from the neck down in an accident at the age of 18, he hasn’t allowed this life-changing moment to stop him from having a huge, positive impact on the world. Geoff entered the history books in 2007, setting sail around Great Britain in a 15ft trimaran dinghy - with Geoff calling the feat his "personal Everest". Following his remarkable achievement, Geoff was awarded the BBC South Sports Personality of the Year. After achieving the impossible, Geoff shared his life story in the autobiography titled "Walking on Water", and is also sought as an international speaker to share how he challenges what seems impossible.
Sailing solo around Great Britain wasn’t enough for Geoff Holt, he decided he wanted to cross the Atlantic Ocean on his yacht, the "Impossible Dream". In 2010 Geoff became the first quadriplegic to sail unassisted across the Atlantic, sailing 3000m unassisted, an extraordinary effort from a truly inspirational man. Soon after achieving this sensational feat, Geoff was appointed MBE and also won the YJA Pantaenius Yachtsman of the Year in 2010. Now, in 2024, Geoff is "Finishing the Dream", circumnavigating the UK to highlight the work of the Wetwheels Foundation and to raise money for additional Wetwheels boats that allow more children and adults to access the sea. In addition, Geoff's entrepreneurial skills have been recognised with the Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs in the UK, the 2017 Global Award for Philanthropy and the 2018 National Diversity Entrepreneur of Excellence Award. Geoff is also currently the CEO of Wetwheels, a CIC company providing boating opportunities to people of all ages and abilities on accessible boats.
Although sailing is a key thread in Geoff’s life, Geoff’s story is not purely about sailing. His life demonstrates the power of the human spirit and it captivates audiences every time he tells it. It is a journey through the life of an amazing man told with passion and humour. He engages audiences by making them feel involved in every step of that journey and he demonstrates, with great sensitivity, our ability to deal with challenges when they present themselves in life. Above all, it is a ‘feel good’ story leaving audiences upbeat and inspired to do something positive within their own lives. Geoff’s story is highly motivational and told with humour, thoughtful insight and great photographs and film footage. He has faced adversity, challenged limits and continues to inspire others to maintain a positive attitude no matter what the challenges ahead.
Geoff is a disability ambassador who has inspired countless others. Geoff’s personal philosophy of ‘no excuses’ lies at the heart of his story: motivating others to live life to the full and conquer challenges no matter what they may be. He hopes that his voyages and work as a social entrepreneur will inspire others to push their own personal boundaries, take on challenges no matter how difficult and make a difference. Geoff’s marketing background and his recent success as an entrepreneur ensures his business messages are rooted in his experiences both on and off the water – a powerful combination. Feedback from clients across all sectors who have booked Geoff is consistently positive whether for after dinner (or lunch) talks, personal appearances or conference keynotes.
Books
Walking on Water: A Voyage Around Britain & Through Life
How to hire Geoff Holt
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Geoff Holt 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.
Geoff Holt's official speaking topics are listed below:
- The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Building a Business
- Leadership
- Motivation
- Resilience
- No Excuses: The Right Attitude Makes High Performance Possible
- Overcoming Adversity & Facing a Challenge
- Diversity & Inclusion
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"Very many thanks indeed for your really excellent presentation yesterday. Glowing reports are even now rolling in with a lot of folk who come to our event every year saying it’s the best evening we’ve had for ages. It was really good of you to give us such a brilliant talk with great slides. I’m sure you could tell by the great ovation from the crowded theatre at the end of your talk." - Sir Ranulph Fiennes
"My sincere thanks to Geoff for an incredible presentation at our event. His story is truly inspirational and really caught the imagination of the whole room. His drive, spirit and determination had the whole audience mesmerised for the whole session. The talk fitted in very well with the context of the day and please let Geoff know that the feedback was fantastic." - M&S Money
"Thank you for delivering a fantastic talk. We have had some excellent feedback from dealers who have been using words such as "epic" and "inspirational" with regard to your talk, so I think we can safely say that it was very well received!" Suzuki
"10/10. Lots of positive feedback about Geoff’s speech. Very engaging. Self-effacing. Entertaining and inspiring at the same time and pitched at exactly the right level for the audience. From a personal point of view as the event organiser, Geoff was great to work with and really added something special to the gala dinner." - The Environment Agency
"A huge thank you for your after-dinner speech on Friday night. It was a very successful evening and the feedback from guests has been very positive. Your speech was perfect, moving, inspirational and humorous- many congratulations." - RICS
"The place is buzzing today with people sharing their responses/feelings to what you had to say. The words ‘Inspirational’ ‘motivating’ ‘emotional’ have been used over and over in the evaluation forms along with comments as to how staff will now respond to the challenges that they face." - Shropshire NHS PCT
‘It was an excellent day and Geoff’s presentation was most definitely a highlight. I looked around the room when he was presenting and there wasn’t one person who wasn’t transfixed and I know from speaking to delegates afterwards that many were not only holding back their emotions but incredibly inspired by his journey in life. I’ve seen Geoff present twice now and would never tire of hearing from him - so humble yet humorous and so ordinary but incredible." - CMG
‘To captivate an audience of highly experienced lawyers is impressive. To find that they heralded you as "inspirational, compelling and unique" is almost miraculous! That is exactly what Geoff Holt achieved when he was engaged as the keynote speaker at an annual legal conference. Charming, witty and entertaining, the lasting memory of the day, that will be carried by all well into the future is Geoff Holt - a true star.’ - Exchange Chambers
‘Geoff had the whole audience fully engaged – he was highly professional and motivating and we would recommend him to anyone looking for a fantastic speaker.’ - J.P. Morgan
"The conference went well and was hugely enriched by your presence and wonderful presentation. Throughout my (long!) career, I have run many events and had to evaluate them and their impact. Never before have I recorded a 100% ‘excellent’ for the keynote speaker."
