Artistes of the Month
Also featured: John Peters, Rachel Elnaugh
Bear Gylls
Bear
Grylls became The Youngest Briton to climb Mount Everest at only twenty-three
years of age, a feat made even more remarkable as just two years earlier
he had a near fatal parachuting accident in Africa, almost severing his
spinal cord. He broke two vertebrae and chipping a third, narrowly missing
being paralysed for life. He spent a year convalescing, constantly facing
the fact that he might never be fit enough to achieve his childhood dream
of climbing Everest. Despite moments of great pain and despair, Bear worked
hard to regain his mobilitiy and with great persistence he and his team
planned their Everest expedition. With dogged determination they raised
the necessary sponsorship and began training for the gruelling task ahead.
Bear entered The Guinness Book of Records on May 26th, 1998 at 07.22am,
joining only thirty British climbers to have successfully completed the
expedition and return alive.
The actual ascent of Everest took ninety days enduring extreme weather, two months of limited sleep and almost running out of oxygen deep inside the 'death zone' (above 26,000 feet). On the way down from his first reconnaissance climb, Bear cheated death while navigating the perilous Khumbu Icefall, the ice cracked and he fell into a 19,000 foot deep crevasse, was knocked unconscious and came to swinging on the end of a rope. Had it not been for the tenacity of his team mates he would not be alive today.
Before the Everest expedition, Bear spent three years as a Specialist Combat Survival Instructor and Patrol Medic with the SAS. In September 1997, he became the Youngest Briton to climb Mount Ama Dablam in the Himalayas (22,500 feet), a peak described by Sir Edmond Hillary as 'unclimbable'.
In 2002 he led the first team to Jet Ski around Britain, using a pioneering new fuel made from rubbish and that was followed by abseiling the tallest building in Chelsea Harbour, going down the Thames by boat to the city airport where he completed 22 flat spins in a plane in the fastest time possible in aid of The Haven Trust, a breast cancer charity.
A keen motorcyclist, Bear is a guest presenter on Meridian's Ridgeriders series, talking about the countryside and places of interest on a ride through Hampshire. As a survival expert he is totally at home in any outdoor situation and when in London he lives on houseboat with his wife. He also owns an island off the Welsh coast. He has a passion for sailing and all extreme sports.
His book, 'Facing Up', published by Macmillan soared into the best seller list and to date has sold over 20,000 copies. In August 2003, Bear led the first crew to cross the Atlantic via the Arctic Circle in an open rigid inflatable boat, in aid of The Prince's Trust. This expedition is the subject of his latest book, 'Facing The Frozen Ocean' which was published by Macmillan in 2004.
He has a natural talent for communication and public speaking which has taken him around the world. One of the youngest motivational speakers on the international circuit, he has also come to the attention of many through TV and Radio programmes including the popular survival series on Channel 4.
At the start of 2007 he announced his newest challenge - to paramotor over Everest!
"Bear was one of the best speakers we've had in five years"
PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPER
"Our thanks for your professional and inspirational contribution
to our lunch, the combination of your particular style and breathtaking
video was entirely appropriate and hit all the right notes".
THE INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS
"All our senior Chief Executives had great things to say about
Bear, he was a fantastic speaker".
UBS WARBURG SENIOR TEAM DINNER
John Peters
John
Peters came to the world's attention in January 1991 when his bruised
and battered face flashed onto television screens around the world. On
the first day of the Gulf War, a British Tornado bomber crewed by John
Peters and John Nichol was shot down over Iraqi territory and the two
men were captured. After four days of mental and physical torture, they
were forcibly shown on Iraqi television. It was John Peters' disfigured
image that became a potent symbol of Saddam Hussein's ruthless aggression.
John's powerful and moving story focuses on how he coped with both the
brutal physical and mental pressure inflicted on him by his captors. His
dramatic and sometimes harrowing experiences reach deep into our innermost
minds, showing us how we can overcome even our worst fears and nightmares.
A compelling speaker, John Peters inspires and motivates people with his own dramatic account of his experiences during Operation Desert Storm. His war was not at all as he expected. It became a seven-week ordeal of torture and interrogation testing John Peters to the absolute limit and bringing him close to death.
The audience is absorbed into a cruel and ruthless regime, but John skillfully weaves his story so that they question their own focus, attitudes and determination to succeed. He describes how to adapt quickly to ever changing circumstances and how to overcome seemingly impossible odds. John, however, is certainly not a doom and gloom merchant. His innate sense of humour and superb timing ensures the audience sees the funny and lighter side of his experience.
He was the sole reader representing the British Armed Forces at the National Gulf Memorial Service, in front of Her Majesty The Queen and Heads of State; presented the 1999 Sir James Martin Lecture at the Royal Aeronautical Society in the presence of Prince Philip and subsequently at the SAFE symposium in Atlanta. Furthermore, he followed Mr Nelson Mandela on stage in South Africa and achieved a standing ovation. He has written two best-selling books and the documentary, 'Tornado Down' was Independent Documentary of the Year and a BAFTA Award Nominee in 1992. He has extensive international TV, radio, PR and media experience and has built up an international speaking reputation, including American, South African, Swedish, Maltese, French, German and Australian audiences.
His corporate credits include Nortel, IBM, Sony, Lloyds and The Royal Bank of Scotland and Peugeot cars to name a few. He has a Master's Degree in Business Administration and was responsible for a cultural change programme in the RAF. This initiative was awarded the 1999 Flight International Aerospace Industry Award for Training and Safety. Since leaving the RAF, he has established a corporate development company, specialising in leadership, teambuilding and communication and whose clients include Unipart International and Barclays Bank.
John Peters is superbly masterful when motivating and inspiring an audience, or when he enthralls guests after dinner or luncheon. They leave with an inspired sense of purpose, with a greater understanding of how to cope with unexpected change and how to drive through these difficulties to set and achieve real goals. The impact he has on an audience is reflected by the 75% standing ovation rate and overwhelming response he always receives after his presentations.
"Feedback from the event was universally positive. The delegates went away feeling inspired and capable to do their jobs". Glaxo Welcome
The best speaker I have ever, ever heard go anywhere to hear him he
will make you laugh and cry he is magnificent!"
Lee Hurst - comedian
Rachel Elnaugh
Rachel
was an accountant with Arthur Andersen when she got the idea for a business
offering special gifts for special occasions. The resulting company, Red
Letter Days offered 'gift experiences' such as driving grand prix cars
or flying in jet aircraft. The company spawned a whole industry estimated
to be worth £200m now.
Red Letter Days was sold in summer 2005 and Rachel is developing new business
ideas.
She was recently seen on screens as the only woman on the panel of the BBC 2 business programme "Dragons' Den" and is one of the UK's leading business women.
Further Information
For further information or for a copy of our latest speaker booklet please phone one of our consultants whose expert advice will help you find the right personality for your event.
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