Serial adventurer James Ketchell on the 1st February 2014 became the first and only person to cycle 18,000 miles around the world, row across the Atlantic Ocean and Summit Mount Everest. Thus completing the Ultimate Triathlon and pushing his mental and physical ability to the max. James is no stranger to setbacks, 7 years prior to completing this ultimate triathlon he was told he was likely to suffer permanent walking impairments. This was following a motorcycle accident that left him with broken legs alongside a severely dislocated and broken ankle.
Experiencing his second major setback in 2015 when he found himself clinging for dear life in the middle of the Indian Ocean. An experience he will never forget, James clung onto a rope ladder on the side of a 100,000-ton oil tanker in storm-force winds. James and his rowing partner found themselves in the centre of a full-scale rescue, and global news, following their attempt to row from Western Australia to Mauritius. Starting the Ultimate Triathlon in 2010 with a single-handed row, that took 110 days, across the Atlantic Ocean. With various obstacles thrown his ways such as running out of food 230 miles from the Caribbean to a storm lasting weeks and a near-miss with an Oil Tanker, James never gave up.
He undertook the second stage in 2011 with his climb to the summit of Mount Everest at 8,848m high. This highlighted true determination and passion as he struggled his way down the descent to later be diagnosed with a severe lung infection. The final stage of the epic triathlon took place in 2013 with his solo unsupported 18,000-mile cycle around the world. He averaged just over 100 miles per day and cycled through 20 different countries ensuring he visited one school in each country.
Now James is a highly sought after and established motivational speaker, sharing his extraordinary stories at hundreds of corporate event worldwide, from Asia to Australia and the US. His talks surround a key message, to which his ultimate triathlon has proved, that everyone has what it takes to succeed and difficult goals are achievable. His underlying themes and topics can be related to every organisation, from the importance of interim goals to break a big task into small yet achievable steps. He also motivates his audiences with the value of persistence and highlights that the key to success is self-belief.
James recently wrote a guest blog post for Champions Speakers, read JAMES KETCHELL: THE MINDSET OF A GLOBAL ADVENTURER to discover his top tips for developing a success-driven mindset.
How to hire James Ketchell
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring James Ketchell 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.
When he's at corporate events, James is known to cover the following topics:
- The importance of interim goals
- The need for self belief
- The value of persistence
- Rising to the challenge
- Organising and logistics
- What it feels like to achieve your goals
- Setting context
- Places and people
See what feedback James received from the corporate events that he appeared at:
“James was invited to speak at the bi-annual RBS Portfolio Management Conference and drawing upon his various experiences and challenges, James was able to relate his talk in a highly effective style to the conference theme. By using a visual presentation full of breathtaking photos and videos that really brought home the scale of the challenge that James undertook, combined with James' natural, easy going style, he was able to establish a strong rapport with the audience and bring his experiences on Mount Everest to life. James’ journey from a serious motorbike accident to then becoming the first person to successfully row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, summit Mt Everest and cycle around the world is truly powerful and motivational. The focus drive and ambition that James exhibits is enormously inspiring". - Paul, Royal Bank of Scotland
"James came to GSK and gave us the opportunity to enjoy and vibrate with his adventures and experiences. He really engaged GSK audience with his amazing story-telling which was perfectly synchronized with photos and videos. He is really an example of hard work and determination and has shown us that you can reach any goal you set, you just need to believe that you can and to go one step after the other and you will finally reach it." - Ismael, GSK
“James was asked to speak about leadership challenges he had experienced during his various expeditions. He delivered a well-structured presentation with enthusiasm and confidence and was able to draw the audience into the excitement of each of his adventures. James was very approachable throughout and was eager to engage with and answer questions from the audience during and after his presentation. His self-discipline and self- motivation was clear throughout and he is an inspiration to all who were present". -Sandhurst Royal Military Academy
“James is an engaging and exciting speaker. His story is a unique one combining personal challenge, adventure, adversity and achievement. I can thoroughly recommend James as his story is authentic and relevant to a business audience, whether large or small. He leaves you to draw your own conclusions in a witty and often understated way, which makes it all the more appealing and different. James is not your typical motivational speaker, but rather a very motivated speaker!” - Anthony, Avis UK
"James Ketchell’s story is truly amazing – he captivated the audience of 300 IT professionals with his tales of dealing with the challenges of nature, self- determination and of course a little bit of danger thrown in. Much of what he talks about can be applied to the corporate world – 90 minutes have never gone so quickly!." - Ravi - Wipro Technologies
"The mark of a competent speaker is their ability to connect to their audience. I have seen James speak on two occasions to a mixed audience of adults and teenagers and he has a great ability to connect and inspire his audience. I was also impressed with James’s ability to work to the brief I gave him and use his words and style to meet my communication targets. Often speakers who are highly motivated are so focused and driven that they are not approachable and flexible. James has the unique trait of being motivated and focused but is also extremely approachable and personablel." - Simon, The Scout Association
