Stephen Downes

Stephen Downes is a sarcoma survivor, one-armed surfer, and three-time Surfing England Open Kneeboard Champion, whose story of recovery, resilience, and reinvention has inspired audiences across the UK. A two-time cancer survivor and amputee, Stephen turned personal tragedy into triumph, returning to the sea just six months after life-saving surgery that removed nearly a quarter of his upper body. Today, he shares his extraordinary journey through powerful keynote talks on resilience, mental health, and the power of perspective.

Before his second cancer diagnosis in 2022, Stephen built a successful career as a telecoms engineer in Cornwall, balancing his professional life with a lifelong passion for surfing. He had already overcomeHodgkin lymphoma more than two decades earlier, surviving thanks to a clinical trial of intensive radiotherapy. Those treatments, though lifesaving, later caused the development of myxofibrosarcoma, a rare and aggressive soft-tissue cancer. When doctors told him that surgery meant losing his arm, shoulder, collarbone, ribs, and part of his chest wall, Stephen faced an impossible choice. His courage during this period defined the mindset he now shares on stage - one rooted in gratitude, adaptability, and perseverance in the face of the unthinkable.

After a 12-hour operation in August 2022, Stephen woke up without his arm but determined to live fully. Within half a year, he was back in the water, relearning how to surf by kneeling on his board. His dedication led to remarkable success: three Surfing England Open Kneeboard Championships, a silver medal at the Welsh Adaptive Open, and national recognition as a voice for sarcoma awareness. Stephen also founded The Chopped Collective, a lifestyle and mental-health project supporting young surfers and skaters, and Dawn Patrol, a surf-inspired coffee brand that channels his belief in connection, community, and creativity.

Stephen Downes speaks with raw honesty, humour, and heart. His keynotes explore overcoming adversity, mental health, life after amputation, resilience, and living with and beyond cancer. Organisations, schools, and charities invite him to share how limitation and possibility can coexist - and how optimism can transform hardship into strength. His story reminds every audience that courage is a choice made daily. Stephen’s talks are not about loss, but life - told by someone who’s learned to ride every wave that comes his way.