Topic: Overcoming Adversity

Philip Beale

Philip is an intrepid explorer, adventurer and leader. By the age of 21 he had participated in two expeditions in the Pacific region and Papua New Guinea, ultimately trekking solo along the north coast of Papua New Guinea and then venturing up the mighty Sepik River. In 2005 he participated in a rafting decent of the Firth River in northern Canada and the following year completed the first skiing traverse of Liverpool Land in Eastern Greenland.  He is best known for his pioneering adventures in replica ancient sailing ships, where he has sailed more miles (over 30 thousand) in the in charge of ancient type vessels than any living or historic sailors. He is driven by a passion and determination to better understand how ancient civilisations have migrated by trans-oceanic voyages.

From his trans-Indian Ocean voyage in an Indonesian double outrigger ship (2003-04) to the completion of his most recent voyage in 2019 across the Atlantic in a replica Phoenician galley, Philip has pushed himself to the very limits of endurance. He has sailed through pirate invested waters around Somalia (2009) and battled with a torn main sail in 40 knot winds off the Cape of Good Hope.

Philip is a highly experienced expedition leader. His tenacity, drive and determination kept him focussed, motivating his crew and dealing with the most challenging of situations. The experience he has gained from his incredible endeavours of planning, commissioning the building of the ships and leading three expeditions is what he shares with audiences internationally, enabling him to motivate and inspire on leadership, teamwork, overcoming adversity, negotiation and project management.

Robin Horsfall

Robin Horsfall has led an amazing life. During his talks, attendees will discover fascinating stories from his extensive military career and how they relate to his underlying theme of overcoming adversity.

He was a boy soldier at fifteen, a paratrooper at seventeen and an SAS soldier at twenty-one. He fought in five wars as a front line soldier, was a Royal Marine Sniper and a top bodyguard. He was also one of the UK’s first Paramedics and ran clinics all over the world. He once built a medical centre in the centre of the Guyana Jungle, but there is more.

In 1992 he started to teach martial arts and for twenty years taught thousands of children karate in South West London building the largest independent children’s karate group in Europe. He broke his neck and while recovering went to Surrey University as a mature student (56) and graduated three years later.

He is currently active fighting for the Northern Ireland Veterans Movement a battle he has led for six years. He recently survived bladder cancer, writes books and now lives in South Wales. Robin is a great grandfather and has been married for forty years to his wife Heather. Robin condenses his considerable story into an hour and then allows time for questions.

David Goggins

David Goggins is a retired Navy SEAL and is the only member of the US Armed Forces to complete SEAL training (including two Hell Weeks), the US Army Ranger School (where he graduated as Enlisted Honor Man) and Air Force Tactical Air Controller training.

An accomplished endurance athlete, Goggins has completed over 60 ultra-marathons, triathlons, and ultra-triathlons, setting new course records and regularly placing in the top five. He once held the Guinness World Record for pull-ups completing 4,030 in 17 hours, and he's a sought after public speaker.

Over the years, he's shared his story with hundreds of thousands of students across the country, numerous professional sports teams, and the staff at Fortune 500 companies.

All of the awards, medals, accolades and magazine articles mean nothing to David. That's not why he does what he does. Although David has raised a lot of money and awareness for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, none of this recognition is relevant to him. He's not trying to be number one in the world. He's not interested in how many races he's run. He doesn't keep track of the miles he's gone. There's no scoreboard.

Instead, it's all about achieving his personal best and pushing himself well past his comfort zone. David chooses to run the toughest races and put himself through some of the hardest military training programs in the country for no other reason than to see what he's made of. For him, physical and mental suffering are a journey of self-discovery, no other experience makes him feel more clear, focused and alive.

Jacques Villeneuve

Jacques Villeneuve is a former F1 World Champion and Canadian NASCAR Whelen Euro Series racer who has also competed in Formula E and various other motorsport competitions. A career that is nearing 30 years long, Jacques has amassed an abundance of valuable skills within sport in which he can also relate to corporate audiences as an after-dinner speaker. Known to leave audiences feeling inspired by his story to success and inspired to maximise their productivity, he can make the best impact at any variety of corporate event, function or conference.

A childhood dream to follow in his father’s moto racing footsteps, Jacques discovered his passion on the track when he was finally allowed by his mother to drive a 100cc kart. Demonstrating an impressive skill from day one, he eventually made his way up to drive a Formula Four car on the Grand Prix circuit before joining his Jim Russell Racing Driver School. By the age of 17, he was up against the likes of F1 legends Johnny Cecotto and Riccardo Patrese in events including the Alfa Cup and the Macau Grand Prix.

Following on from a successful career in the CART IndyCar World Series, Jacques joined William’s F1 team in 1996. Claiming a podium finishing position in his debut race and four winning races in his debut season, it became apparent very quickly that he was set to be the next biggest name in motor racing. He went onto drive for British American Racing, Renault, and BMW Sauber whilst collecting a total of 235 career points, 11 wins and the title at the 1997 Formula One World Championship.

Outside of F1, Villeneuve has set his sights on becoming the first man since Graham Hill to claim the Triple Crown of Motorsport. With the Indianapolis 500 and the Formula One World Championship under his belt, he made it his mission to win 24 Hours of Le Mans in an attempt to claim the missing title. With his best achievement in the race being 2nd place, Jacques has shown extreme determination and skill within racing. Most recently, he has become a NASCAR racer and has competed in various formats of the game. Currently racing in the Whelen Euro Series, Jacques has managed to secure two poles and 13 starts.

A man with an abundance of talents, Jacques career anecdotes can make for one of the most interesting and insightful after-dinner speeches. A charismatic and dynamic speaker, he can engage even the largest of audiences and leave them feeling empowered to make a change to their working style.

Chris Gardner

Chris Gardner is an Entrepreneur, Author, Philanthropist, and single parent whose work has been recognized by many esteemed organizations.

Always hard working and tenacious, a series of adverse circumstances in the early 1980’s left Chris Gardner homeless in San Francisco, the sole guardian of his toddler son. Unwilling to give up Chris Jr. or his dreams of success, Gardner climbed the financial industry ladder from the very bottom. He worked at Dean Witter Reynolds and Bear Stearns & Co before founding his own brokerage firm in Chicago in 1987.

The amazing story of Christopher Gardner’s life was first published as an autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness, in 2006, and became a New York Times and Washington Post #1 bestseller. The book spent over twenty weeks on the bestseller list and has been translated into more than forty languages. Chris Gardner was also the inspiration for the movie The Pursuit of Happyness.

The film starred Will Smith as Gardner and he received Academy Award, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations for his performance. Gardner was also an associate producer on the film. In his second New York Times bestselling book, Start Where You Are: Life Lessons in Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, published in 2009, Gardner shared his philosophies and crucial steps behind creating a fulfilling, successful life. Since Chris Gardner's remarkable transformation from homeless single father to millionaire, he has been inundated with two questions: "How did you do it?" and "How can I do it too?" Chris Gardner’s aim, through his speaking engagements and media projects, is to help others achieve their full potential.

His practical guidance and inspirational story have made him a frequent guest on CNN, CNBC and the Fox News Channel. He has also been featured on The CBS Evening News, 20/20, Oprah, Today Show, The View, Entertainment Tonight, as well as in People, USA Today, Fortune, Entrepreneur, Jet, Reader’s Digest, Trader Monthly, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Post and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, amongst other publications. Christopher Gardner’s childhood was marked by poverty, domestic violence, alcoholism, sexual abuse and family illiteracy. Gardner published his autobiography out of a desire to shed light on these universal issues and show they do not have to define a person. Gardner never knew his father, and lived with his beloved mother when not in foster homes. Gardner joined the Navy out of high school and after discharge, moved to San Francisco where he worked as a medical research associate and scientific supply distributor.

In 1981, as a new father to son Christopher Gardner Jr., he was determined to find a career that would be both lucrative and fulfilling. Fascinated by finance, but without connections, an MBA or even a college degree, Gardner applied for training programs at brokerages, willing to live on next to nothing while he learned a new trade. Chris Jr.’s mother left and Gardner, despite his circumstances, fought to keep his son because, as he says, “I made up my mind as a young kid that when I had children they were going to know who their father was and that he wasn’t going anywhere.” Gardner earned a spot in the Dean Witter Reynolds training program but became homeless when he could not make ends meet on his meager trainee salary. Today, Gardner is involved with homelessness initiatives assisting families to stay intact, and assisting homeless men and women who are employed but still cannot get by. As a single parent for 25 years, Chris Gardner has demonstrated his concern for the well-being of children through his work with and on behalf of organizations such as the National Fatherhood Initiative, the National Education Association Foundation and the International Rescue Committee. Gardner is still very committed to Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco, where he and his son received assistance in the early 1980’s. Gardner has also been honored by the NAACP Image Awards; Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women, The Continental Africa Chamber of Commerce, The Glaucoma Foundation, The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), Covenant House, Common Ground and other organizations committed to combating violence against women, homelessness, and financial illiteracy – issues of the utmost importance to Gardner.

Chris Gardner resides in Chicago.

Frank Gardner

He is currently the BBC's Security Correspondent.

He was appointed an OBE in 2005 for his services to journalism.

Educated at Marlborough College, a boys' independent school in Wiltshire, England, and at the University of Exeter, Gardner cites a meeting with the Arabian explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger in his youth, which led to a life of fascination with the Arab world and a degree in the Arabic language from University of Exeter.

Between 1989 and 1991 he was a Territorial Army officer in the 4th Battalion the Royal Green Jackets. After a nine year career in banking as an investment banker with Saudi International Bank and then Robert Fleming Bank from 1986 until 1995, a promotion in Bahrain resulted in his not liking his career, and he took the plunge into journalism in Saudi Arabia.

In 1995 he joined BBC World as a producer and reporter, and became the BBC's first full-time Persian Gulf correspondent in 1998, setting up an office in Dubai. In 2000 Gardner was appointed BBC Middle East correspondent in charge of the bureau in Cairo, but traveled throughout the region. After September 11, 2001 attacks on New York, from 2002 Gardner specialised solely in covering the War on Terror.

On 6 June 2004, while reporting from a suburb of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Gardner was shot six times and seriously injured (his colleague cameraman Simon Cumbers was shot dead as he fled the same attack). Of the five bullets which hit Gardner in his torso (the sixth bullet passed straight through his shoulder) all missed all his major organs yet one hit his spinal cord and he was left paralysed from the waist down. However, after several months of rehabilitation he returned to reporting for the BBC in mid-2005. He is now a wheelchair or frame user. Despite his injury, he still occasionally reports from the field including places like Afghanistan and Colombia but usually comments on top stories from a BBC studio.

In 2005, for services to journalism, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours.

In summer 2006 he released a book on his experiences called "Blood and Sand", which he launched at the Hay Festival.

In 2011 Gardner presented Tintin's Adventure with Frank Gardner for the BBC, a documentary in which he travelled through Northern Europe following Tintin on his first ever adventure – Tintin in the Land of the Soviets.