JJ Chalmers is a Former Royal Marine Commando, turned motivational speaker and television presenter. He epitomises the mental resilience and determination required to overcome adversity - a key factor to his appeal as a keynote speaker. Severely injured in combat was not the end of JJ's story, as he fought to not only live but thrive. Going on to win gold at the Invictus Games and carve out a new career in television presenting and public speaking, JJ is one of the best speakers on how to overcome adversity. With first hand experience of the qualities required to be undeterred by defeat, JJ makes the ideal speaker for a range of demographics, facing business dilemmas, personal challenges or looking for inspiration, a truly compelling speaker.
In 2011 a confident, qualified and dedicated Royal Marine Commander was deployed to fight in Afghanistan for England. The risk of the role became all too real when JJ was severely injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) on duty, causing facial deformity, loss of two fingers, leg wounds and the destruction of his right elbow. What followed was months of gruelling rehabilitation and him undergoing nearly 30 operations in eight weeks, however, his mental resilience never faltered and his determination to overcome the devastating blow in order to live a full life was nothing short of inspirational.
Being limited in his new life was not an option for JJ, who set the challenge for himself of reaching the 2014 Invictus Games for injured former or current army personnel. Not only did he participate in the adaptive sports event, but he secured gold in the Men’s IRecB1 Recumbent Circuit Race, bronze in the 1-mile timed trial and bronze in the 4x 100 mixed relay. A stand out star of the competition, the team spirit JJ had missed from his Forces days was reignited in his sports team. With such talent, and first hand experience of the cause the Games represent, JJ returned in 2014 as the Presenter for Invictus Games, fronting coverage for the BBC. A natural in front of the camera, JJ is demand from a number of broadcasters wanting the down to earth and charming former serviceman as their representative.
Since his debut on the small screen, JJ has presented the 2016 Rio Paralympics for Channel 4, 2018 Commonwealth Games for BBC and most recently, he co-hosted BBC's morning coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, alongside Jeanette Kwakye. Having appeared on the likes of The Last Leg, Superhumans Show and numerous sports segments for news outlets, JJ was listed in Strictly Come Dancing's 2020 celebrity line up, finishing in the quarter finals of the competition. Today, he is the Presenter of Warship: Life in the Royal Navy & The Travelling Auctioneers. A truly captivating and inspirational speaker, JJ Chalmers can offer transformative talks to your audience when you hire him for an event.
In August 2022, we sat down with JJ Chalmers to discuss how he overcame adversity & the impact the Invictus Games had on his recovery. Watch our Exclusive Interview with JJ Chalmers.
Social Media
Reviews
JJ Chalmers received a 4.5 star rating across 22 events in 2023.
Agent Recommendation
"JJ Chalmers is a truly inspiring speaker with an incredible story to share. After being seriously injured as a Royal Marine Commando, he not only rebuilt his life but went on to win medals at the Invictus Games. JJ speaks from the heart about resilience, overcoming adversity, and finding strength in tough times. His down-to-earth style and genuine passion for helping others make him a speaker who connects with audiences on a deeply personal level, leaving them inspired and motivated to tackle their own challenges."
How to hire JJ Chalmers
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring JJ Chalmers 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.
JJ Chalmers' official speaker topics are listed below:
- Military
- Mental resilience
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Overcoming adversity
- Peak performance
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"I have to say as I was lucky enough to be sat with JJ, what a wonderful, inspirational man he is and I’ve heard so many fantastic comments from our staff here at Revolution, he really did a wonderful speech and really made a positive impact on our staff and he is just such a wonderful chap. Please do pass on my best regards to JJ and I am so happy that I got to meet him."- Revolution Bars Group
"The conference went very well and JJ was excellent. The informal feedback we have had is overwhelmingly positive. People have described JJ as inspirational, authentic, kept their attention at all times and good balance of humour and excellent content."- Revolution Bars Group
"Could you pass on our thanks to JJ from Kate and I and from the rest of DAWN. The conversation was absolutely brilliant, and we’ve had so many comments already with praise and positivity. We really think the entire NICE staff has been educated, had their eyes opened and just really enjoyed listening and taking everything on board, so thank you so much." - NICE
"The event went very well and we’ve gotten some really great feedback. Learning his story and understand what he has been through and the accomplishments he has made despite his problems was so inspiring. Thank you again for arranging for him to speak with us." - Madeleine, Kio
“The session was great! JJ is an amazing storyteller, and the participants were so pleased with the session.” - NHS Dorset County Hospital
- 2024 - Presenter on Channel 5's Warship: Life in the Royal Navy
- 2024 - Commentated for the Paris Olympics
- 2023 - Co-presented The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for BBC One
- 2023 - Presented Scotland's Greatest Escapes
- 2022 - Anchor presenter for the BBC coverage of the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup
- 2022 - Presented on BBC's Gardeners' World, introducing the garden at his family home in Fife, Scotland
- 2022 - Presented Dunkirk: Mission Impossible, a three-part television series on Operation Dynamo
- 2022 - Presenter of The Travelling Auctioneer
- 2021 - Presented for BBC coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
- 2021 - Part of the BBC team covering the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
- 2021 - Joined as a presenter on BBC's Money For Nothing
- 2020 - Participated in the eighteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing
- 2019 - Worked with the BBC on RideLondon, UCI Road World Championships, and Glasgow Track Cycling World Cup
- 2018 - Reported for BBC Sport at various events including World Athletics Indoor Championships, Winter Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, and Invictus Games
- 2017 - Presented the Invictus Games in Toronto and worked on BBC Radio 5 Live's World Para Athletics coverage
- 2017 - Started presenting sports segments on BBC News and BBC Breakfast
- 2016 - Worked as a presenter for Channel 4's coverage of the Rio Paralympics and other events like Team GB Homecoming Parade
- 2014 - Won Gold and Bronze medals at the Invictus Games in non-amputee cycling events
