Inspirational British Army veteran, Simon Weston is a true hero and example of the strength of human spirit in overcoming extreme adversity. After an incident in the Falklands War left Simon with catastrophic injuries, and a life changing road to recovery, Simon looked fear in the face and embarked on a journey that was nothing short of miraculous. Utilising the strength he found in his own experience, Simon has since become an award winning charity campaigner, media sensation and businessman, making him one of the most inspirational speakers on the circuit.
Signing up to the Welsh Guards in 1978, June the 8th 1982 is the date that sealed Simon’s fate, when he was onboard the RFA Sir Galahad which was bombed in the Bluff Cove Air Attacks by the Argentine Skyhawk fighters. Fighting for his country saw Simon left with 46% burns to his body, and such horrific injuries his own Mother could not recognise him. Aside from the ninety six major operations and years of physical recovery Simon endured, the mental scars from the life changing incident were deep and led Simon down dark avenues, contemplating suicide.
In a transformational journey that has been depicted in five BBC documentaries, Simon was able to rebuild his life in the most inspirational way possible. Harnessing inner strength and mental resilience, he overcame the physical and mental challenges, sharing his journey in the media along the way, on the likes of Good Morning Britain and This Morning. Additionally, Simon has published three autobiographies, including the number one best selling ‘Walking Tall’ and diversified into uplifting children's stories. Raising awareness and supporting others were at the forefront of Simon’s ambitions, and he has since set up a youth charity; Weston Spirit, and become an ambassador for The Healing Charity, amongst many other successful ventures.
For his continued services to charity, Simon was honoured in the Queen’s New Years Honours list with a CBE, a deserved accolade for his dedication to helping others. Over the course of his recovery and career, Simon has also been recognised with the Freedom of the City of Liverpool in 2002, named in the Top 100 Welsh Heroes list of 2004 and in 2014 he placed number one in the Nation's Favourite Hero awards, a testament to the far reaching impact his inspirational journey has had. As a speaker, Simon has completed a twenty date UK tour, motivating others to embrace change, challenges and choices in order to achieve their ambitions, big and small - making Champions Speakers exceptionally proud to be an official booking agent for Simon Weston. Equally relevant for corporate audiences, Simon has presented to British Gas, Admiral and the Housing Association, resonating with every crowd he connects with, the achievement of a truly talented inspirational speaker.
Books
Moving On
Going Back: Return To The Falklands
How to hire Simon Weston
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Simon Weston 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, Simon covers the following topics:
- Overcoming adversity
- Accepting change
- Dealing with challenges
- Liking the person you are
- Diversity and inclusion
- Bravery and diginity
- Inspiring others
FEEDBACK FROM VIRTUAL EVENTS & WEBINARS:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Simon attended many virtual events, booked as the exciting guest speaker. Read the feedback he has received below.
"All went well today – Simon was ready on time and gave an excellent talk. I thanked Simon already on-screen but please pass on our thanks to him again when you next speak to him." - Philip, Ferring
FEEDBACK FROM IN-PERSON EVENTS:
Simon is regularly booked to engage audiences at in-person events, read his latest feedback below.
"I just wanted to pass on that Simon Weston was absolutely brilliant! The learners benefited a great deal from these talks." - Jayne, Newcastle-under-Lyme College
“Simon was a huge success. People are still talking about it and everyone I've spoken to found Simon's address really inspirational and very moving. His remarks about rehabilitation had particular resonance with the delegates and he pitched everything perfectly. It was just right for our conference” – April 2015 (conference in Cardiff)
“Simon was absolutely amazing, as I am sure you are aware. The feedback has been extremely positive!” – April 2015 (conference in Boston)
“Simon was such an inspiration. After all that he has been through his positive outlook on life really made me sit up and think. His added humour made it even more enjoyable.” – March 2015 (Housing association)
"Just a quick email to say, OMG, how brilliant and inspiring and amazing and, and, and everything positive……….is Simon Weston. It was such a wonderful story he told, I can’t even use the word presentation, because it genuinely felt like a story told with such warmth and humour! I was completely and utterly mesmerised throughout!" - Jas Kinslow, Learning and Development Manager, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank
"Simon was fantastic and very well received- everyone I have spoken to so far has been saying how inspiring they found him- we even had a resident in the audience who was in hospital at the same time as Simon when he was first brought in with his burns- what a small world! Our Chief Executive and Board were very appreciative of him spending his time to come and talk at this very special event- as was I. He really was the perfect fit, and so adaptable and versatile, a true professional." - Sophie Bryan Organisational Development Manager Central & Cecil
"Simon was very well received by our teams and the speech was relevant/emotive and hit all the right notes to our audience." - Sarah Douglas, Charity Link
“Simon was fantastic! Feedback was….One of the best speakers we’ve had. Hugely motivational, Funny, Fantastic presentation, Captivating, Many thanks for all your help!" - Laura Rigas, Johnson & Johnson
"Thank you so much for your help with Simon’s visit. He was amazing. Such a privilege to meet him. The entire audience were totally engaged, you could hear a pin drop." - Kate, The Portman Estate
"We thoroughly enjoyed the motivational speaker, Simon Weston at our recent event. He was a true inspiration, and has received a 5 star rating from all 144 attendees! Our colleagues have left with a feeling of real pride, motivation and utterly inspired by him. On behalf of our whole Exec team and all guests at the Conference please pass on our sincere thanks to him for his time."- Sarah RAC
"I just wanted to let you know that the event last night went very well. Everyone was captivated by Simon, who gave an excellent presentation. The Q and A session was very good and enjoyed by the audience, and could have gone on for longer" - Walsall and District Samaritans
Simon was everything we hoped for and more! The producer said Simon was genuine, honest and sincere which made it really engaging and insightful. I think his positive outlook will really help our listeners. - Nicole, Casting Director, Electric House
"Everything went really well on Friday, Simon was amazing, he entertained our guests who were hanging on his every word, you could hear a pin drop when he was talking, a truly amazing person and speaker. Please pass our thanks onto Simon we couldn’t of asked for a better speaker for the evening." - Matthew, Taunton Round Table
- 2016 - Named CBE in the Queen’s New Years Honours list for services to charity
- 2015 - Variety Children’s charity awarded Simon a Legend Award for services to Motivational Speaking.
- 2014 - Named number 1 in the Nation’s Favourite Hero list
- 1992 - Named OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to charity
- 1990 - Published his Number 1 Best Selling autobiography ‘Walking Tall’
- 1988 - Founded Weston Spirit, a youth charity in Liverpool
- 1983 - Subject of 5 BBC documentaries, the first being Simon’s War
