Jaco Van Gass is a former Soldier in the Parachute Regiment of the British Armed Forces who was forced to retire from service following an injury. Since his injury, Jaco has completed various acts of charitable work and has forged success as a Paralympic cyclist, most recently winning double Gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. In 2025, Jaco was appointed OBE for his services to cycling. Now hired as a motivational speaker, Jaco is committed to helping others improve their lives, both in and out of the workplace. When hired as a speaker, Jaco shares his perspectives on overcoming adversity, dealing with trauma, dealing with setbacks and facing challenges.
After joining the Parachute Regiment in 2007, Jaco was completing his second deployment in Afghanistan in 2009 when he was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. He suffered catastrophic injuries, including losing his lower left arm, punctured internal organs and leg fractures. Despite such adversity, Jaco made a remarkable recovery and went on to become the first South-African born person to conquer Manaslu in the Himalayas in 2011. Since then, Jaco has also attempted to climb Mount Everest, which was unfortunately unsuccessful, and completed a 335 km march to the South Pole with Prince Harry for Walking With The Wounded, raising £1.5M. Jaco’s interests have since been focused on cycling, initially claiming two Gold medals at the Invictus Games, before claiming Bronze at the 2016 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships.
Now a highly successful Paralympian, Jaco’s medal tally stands at four Paralympic Gold and one Paralympic Bronze medal. Jaco is also an 8x UCI Para-cycling World Champion, along with having claimed five Silver UCI Para-cycling World Championship medals and one Bronze UCI Para-cycling World Championship medal. In honour of his dedication, Jaco was appointed MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours for Services to Cycling. In addition to his Paralympic and World Championships success, Jaco has also honourably climbed Alaska’s Mt Denali, summitted Grand Paradiso, completed the Race Across America, became the first disabled team to complete the ABSA Cape Epic and claimed three World Records. In honour of such an inspirational life story, Jaco published Unequivocal: My Story, sharing his experiences in an honest and inspiring voice.
Today, alongside his Paralympic commitments, Jaco Van Gass is also hired as an awe-inspiring motivational speaker. Audiences are captivated by Jaco’s charm, humour and determination despite great adversity, telling his story of real-life adventures instigated by his injuries. Witty and determined, Jaco has a real drive for others to take the opportunities available to them to improve their lives, in both personal and professional settings. With his previous clients including the likes of the Bank of America, ITV, Barclays and Aviva, Jaco is a truly motivational speaker who should not be missed. If you are looking for a motivational speaker who can guide audiences on how to deal with trauma, overcoming adversity, achieving goals and dealing with setbacks, don’t hesitate to hire Jaco Van Gass today.
Jaco Van Gass' official speaking topics are listed below:
- Overcoming Adversity
- Dealing with Change
- Achieving Business & Personal Goals
- Motivation
- Dealing with Setbacks
- Cycling
- Dealing with Trauma
- Dealing with Hardship
- Facing Challenges
- Resilience & Mindset
- Mental Health
- Leadership & Teamwork
- Disability Inclusion & Accessibility
- Goal Setting
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"Jaco van Gass' visit to Abbey Gate College on Remembrance Day was one of the best experiences of my 28 years of teaching. A truly remarkable young man whose personal story was told with sensitivity and a real awareness of his audience. He wowed our Junior 5 and 6 pupils with his heroic tales and inspired our Sixth Formers with untold courage of how he overcame the adversity of the worst kind. Inspirational, humble and passionate about life, it was a real pleasure to have met Jaco. His story will be remembered by all who heard him speak for a very long time." - Abbey Gate College
"Not only is Jaco one of the most delightful, humble and effortlessly charming individuals you will meet, but he has an extraordinary life story that he is (unusually for someone in his position) able to articulate publicly with honesty, humour and skill that is profoundly moving. I would recommend him for almost any public speaking engagement, but especially as a motivational speaker." - British Forces FDN
"I wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you to Jaco for his incredible contribution to our recent event. His session was nothing short of inspiring, and the journey he shared with us left a deep and lasting impression on everyone present. By the end of his talk, we all felt as though we had walked alongside him through the challenges and triumphs he described. It was not only powerful but deeply emotional too, resonating with so many of us on a personal level. Jaco’s ability to connect his experiences to the way we navigate our own challenges—especially in times of uncertainty—was eye-opening. He reminded us of the importance of focusing on our goals and taking deliberate steps towards trying to achieve them, even when the path ahead feels uncertain and we may need to try another route. It was a timely and much-needed reminder for us all." - Investec
"We were absolutely honoured to have Jaco Van Gass speak at one of our client events. His story was nothing short of inspiring, humbling, and deeply thought-provoking. The way he delivered his message—with the perfect balance of humour, insight, and sincerity—left a lasting impact on everyone in the room. The feedback from our clients has been overwhelmingly positive. Many have shared how moved they were by Jaco’s journey and how much they took away from his words. We’ve no doubt his book will be widely read by our guests following the event. We are incredibly grateful to Jaco for sharing his time and his story with us. It was a truly memorable experience—one that will be talked about for many years to come, and an event that will be very hard to top. Thank you again, Jaco." - Anonymous
"I've had the pleasure of hosting Jaco van Gass as a keynote speaker on two separate occasions, and each time he has delivered with remarkable impact. His story is not only powerful and inspiring, but he has a rare talent for tailoring it to align seamlessly with our corporate objectives. It never feels generic — Jaco makes it personal, relevant, and emotionally resonant in a way that few speakers of his calibre are willing or able to do. What sets Jaco apart is not just the message, but the man himself. His warmth, humility, and genuine interest in engaging with people after his talk leave a lasting impression. Our teams were deeply moved and energised by his presence. I cannot recommend Jaco highly enough — he is a true source of inspiration, and any organisation would be lucky to have him speak." - Anonymous
- 2025 - Appointed OBE for Services to Cycling
- 2024 - Double Gold medallist at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games
- 2024 - 1x Gold & 1x Silver medallist at the Track World Championships
- 2023 - 3x Gold & 2x Silver medallist at the Track World Championships
- 2022 - Author of "Unequivocal: My Story"
- 2022 - Appointed MBE for Services to Cycling
- 2022 - 1x Gold medallist at the Track World Championships
- 2020 - Double Gold & 1x Bronze medallist at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games
- 2020 - 3x Gold & 1x Bronze medallist at the Track World Championships
- 2019 - 1x Silver medallist at the Track World Championships
- 2019 - Part of the first disabled team to complete the ASBA Cape Epic
- 2018 - 1x Bronze medallist at the Track World Championships
- 2017 - Completed the Race Across America, cycling from West to East in 6 days
- 2016 - 1x Bronze medallist at the Track World Championships
- 2016 - Cycled the Carretera Austral
- 2016 - Summited Grand Paradiso
- 2014 - 2x Gold medallist at the Invictus Games
- 2013 - Completed a 335km march to the South Pole with Prince Harry for Walking With The Wounded
- 2007 - Completed training to join the Parachute Regiment of the British Army
How to hire Jaco Van Gass
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Jaco Van Gass 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.
