Topic: Goal Setting

Nicolas Hamilton

Nicolas Hamilton was told as a child that he would never walk due to his cerebral palsy and would spend his life reliant on a wheelchair. Not one to be told he cannot do things, with determination and gruelling training he not only walked unaided, but he started to realise his dream: to be a racing driver.

Now a regular in the British Touring Car Championship (the pinnacle of British motorsport) his story and ‘anything is possible’ attitude inspires anyone and everyone that hears it. Nic Hamilton is a rising star of the British motorsport scene. In a notoriously competitive and tough sport, he has established himself as a potential future champion, an achievement in any context, but even more so for someone who was told as a child that he would never walk.

Born with Spastic Diplegia a form of cerebral palsy, which affects the movement of his leg muscles, Nicolas Hamilton was initially a wheelchair user. He endured years of gruelling, painful training so that by the age of 17 he could walk completely unaided. A huge achievement in itself, but this was just the first part of his unwavering determination to become a racing driver.

Not one to be told what he can and cannot do on the basis of his condition, Nic earned a seat in the highly competitive Renault Clio Cup, the entry level to touring car competition and the gateway to motorsport for many future successful drivers. After a high-profile first season (partly due to his disability, partly due to his brother being Lewis Hamilton) Nic moved to the European Touring Car Cup. Sponsorship and financial issues in this most money-dependent of sports enforced a season’s break on him, but he returned to the track within a couple of years becoming the first disabled driver to compete in the British Touring Car Championship.

After a return back to the Clio Cup in 2018, Nicolas Hamilton is now set on continuing his motorsport career, having secured a seat back in the British Touring Car Championship for 2019 and defying expectations with his ‘anything is possible’ attitude.

As well as racing Hamilton is focused on sharing his inspirational story and his belief that your ambition is limited only by your attitude. Delivered in his genuine, down-to-earth, friendly manner, he recounts his personal story of motivation and facing down challenges, as well the lessons in teamwork that his sport has instilled.

Lewis Pugh

The only person to have completed a long-distance swim in every ocean, extreme adventurer and record-breaking swimmer Lewis Pugh talks about pushing yourself beyond 'the possible' into new realms of achievement.

Most recently during 2018's summer, Lewis swam the 530km length of the English Channel in just 49 days, starting at Land's End and finishing in Dover.

In 2016 he helped negotiate the creation of the biggest protected area in the world in the Ross Sea off Antarctica. The negotiations required consensus among 25 countries, a number of which had long standing disputes with one another. The media dubbed his efforts as "Speedo diplomacy" after Lewis took on the challenge of swimming 5 swims in freezing Antarctic waters, wearing just speedos and a swim hat.

As a motivational and keynote speaker, he puts businesses at every level worldwide through their paces with vital messages and strategies for surviving and thriving in a fragile economic climate.

To be the first human to  swim  across the Arctic waters (a mean minus 1.7°C!) requires a shift in mind-set when dealing with a dramatic drop in body temperature and the dangers of killer sea-animals: one must conjure up and maintain a constant focus and flexibility—crucial elements of business management.

Lewis has lived through the repercussions of change and their contributing factors and, a passionate voice for conservation, has been busy honing his front crawl technique in vulnerable ecosystems to raise awareness about their plight.

For example, in 2010, he completed a swim across a glacial lake on Mount Everest to draw attention to the melting glaciers in the Himalayas and the impact the reduced water supply will have on peace in the region. He has now pioneered more swims around famous landmarks than any other swimmer in history!

Teamwork is also vital to the success of his exploits. Lauded as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Lewis’ influence and endurance was enabled by those around him. His crack teams are always made of those completely committed to excellence and leaders in their field.

Through his adventures, he dreams of making a significant difference. In 2015, Lewis undertook five swims in Antarctica to campaign for a large Marine Protected Area in the Ross Sea - one of the most incredible and diverse areas left on earth – which is now threatened by overfishing and climate change. The media have dubbed his efforts as ‘Speedo diplomacy’.

One of Lewis’ keynote speeches on leadership was voted one of the ‘7 Most Inspiring Videos on the Web’, and TED have described him as a ‘master story-teller’. He has also appeared on various international TV news channels, and his autobiography ‘Achieving the Impossible’ was selected for Oprah’s Exclusive Book List.

Along with the Freedom of the City of London, Lewis has been bestowed with South Africa and France’s highest honours.

Lewis addresses audiences on; Business management and teamwork, surviving and thriving in challenging times, achieving the impossible, change and its repercussions and the plight of vulnerable ecosystems. Lewis has been invited to speak at both the Conservative and Labour Party 2018 conferences, and co-hosting the Panda Awards, otherwise known as the Oscars of the wildlife and environmental film and TV awards.