Inspirational Young Adventurer Who Overcame Adversity & Tragedy on Everest
United Kingdom
The inspirational Alex Staniforth is no stranger to adversity. He has spent his life overcoming challenges most people would not dream of pursuing. His dedication to conquering his fears, never giving up, and paying back has seen him not only make attempts on the highest mountains in the world but also become a man who finds fulfilment in inspiring others.
Diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of nine, Alex’s self-confidence and self-image took a blow especially with the teasing and bullying he had to endure due to a stammer. He has, however, managed to conquer his stammer, epilepsy, and the anxiety and depression he suffered from due to circumstance.
Alex steadily started conquering his fears and building his sense of self-worth through the outdoors after learning how to paraglide during a holiday to Turkey at age thirteen. This was followed by a climb to the top of Ben Nevis. Alex’s spirit of adventure was born, and in 2010, he became a qualified PADI Open Water Scuba Diver.
It was during a walk through the Lake District that his desire to conquer Everest was born. According to Alex, “Everest symbolises a deeper spiritual yearning- the ultimate obstacle to overcome, a huge opportunity to make a positive difference and inspire others whilst proving myself (and the bullies wrong) by fulfilling my dreams when so many do not.”
Alex does not come from a wealthy background, and has, so far, been able to fund each of his adventures by means of part-time jobs and private funding.
But all has not been smooth sailing. The 2014 attempt to conquer Mount Everest was ended due to an avalanche. Alex’s second attempt on the mountain, in 2015, ended disastrously with the death of three of his teammates due to avalanches triggered by the Nepal earthquake. His book, Icefall (endorsed by Bear Grylls), covers the full story of both these attempts. Icefall won a bronze award in the Readers Favorite International Book Contest 2016.
Alex, however, sees obstacles as opportunities in disguise. He has gone on to create the EPIC7 project which is a series of ultra-endurance challenges specifically designed to further prepare himself. This led to him becoming the first person to complete the National 3 Peaks Cycle challenge solo which includes a 440-mile cycle and climbing the three highest peaks in the UK in a period of four days.
Someone who believes in giving back, Alex has managed to raise over £60,000 for charity. He also serves as an ambassador for Westgrove Group, YHA England and Wales, and PHASE Worldwide, a charity that works in the remote areas of Nepal.
Having suffered with episodes of mental ill health since being a teenager, He co-founded Mind Over Mountains in 2020, a mental health charity to help people restore mental health through outdoor experiences.
Amongst his many accomplishments, Alex counts the following:
The well-spoken Alex has the ability to help others overcome their own Everest. As someone who has had to overcome adversity time and again, yet who each time has risen to meet the occasion, Alex’s story and message have helped numerous people face and overcome their own particular challenges. Resilience, Alex believes, is the key to success.
“To me success is how high we bounce once we reach the bottom” – Alex Staniforth
Alex Staniforth is represented for motivational speaker bookings by companies, schools and for conferences by contacting the ProMotivate™ Speakers Agency on ask@pro-motivate.com
“Many thanks for your inspirational talk this afternoon at United Utilities it was fascinating to hear your story and definitely thought provoking on many levels. As I briefly mentioned, I have two boys at Thorpe Primary School in Royton, Oldham and I think it would be great to organise a presentation for their school. I was fortunate to have attended a similar presentation by Joe Simpson when I was at secondary school, and at the age of 38 it is something which I remember even now and his presentation was not a patch on yours”
“I thought that Alex’s presentation was fantastic, and think that this sentiment was shared by the Y8’s. I must admit I was unsure about how they conduct themselves whist listening for an hour and sitting in friendship groups, but the vast, vast majority of pupils were completely immersed, listened well, and asked some interesting questions afterwards” “I attended the Monday’s session with year8. It was lovely to see someone so young speaking about how he overcame his own personal battles in the process of achieving so much more. The students were very attentive and spoke afterwards about how inspiring Alex was. I personally enjoyed the presentation too.”
"This young man has a special charisma, he tells his incredible story in an unassuming and simple way that captures the imagination and inspires action. My management team and I were staggered by his drive and determination to succeed, and his achievements at the ripe old age of 20 are mind blowing. I wish him every success in his future and I will certainly invite him to speak again as his adventure in life unfolds."
“He is simply fantastic and so inspirational... I still cannot believe quite how good Alex is!!! Truly unique!”
“Thank you very much for your recent presentation at our Leadership Event at University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. We were delighted to welcome you to our event where we discussed individual resilience, team work and the development of goals to deliver our mission to be a world class organisation. It was a hugely inspiring talk that you delivered which highlighted all of the key elements that we were looking for to inspire our staff to think differently about their roles as leaders and working as part of teams. We were humbled by your personal reflection on the journey you have undergone to become an adventurer and motivational speaker. I want to thank you on behalf of the organisation for your presentation which has received outstanding feedback from our staff. We wish you the very best for your future endeavours and hope that you will return one day to UHCW to update us on all of your exciting adventures and plans”.
“Hey man I'm sure you get stuff like this all the time but your talk at Edale was mind-blowing. I was skeptical when I read inspirational talk on the timetable but it was amazing! Not usually one for cheesy stuff like this but you changed my perspective on some stuff I went away to write a list of my Everests to sort out over summer and i know I can do it purely based on your story. Just thought you should know that what you've achieved is ridiculous and just by hearing your story it's changed how I've been thinking I hope you achieve your goal man you definitely deserve it” – Thomas Lynch
"It was a well-constructed, interesting presentation which you delivered, without notes, in a very engaging way. Students related well to the challenges you recounted, even those who were less driven by the mountain itself! The setbacks and moments of revelation helped to make the story both interesting and inspiring and, once again, the whole audience was able to take aspects of the experiences and put them into a personal context"
"Alex is an excellent speaker with a story that can motivate and inspire any room. He has overcome a number of challenges through his young life, and hearing about how he has gone about turning adversity into a purpose to reach the top of the world was a real honour. We gave him a brief of closing one of our most high profile events, whilst re-enforcing our key messages in his speech. I am pleased to say that he more than delivered on our expectations. I would not hesitate in recommending his services."
"I asked Alex to come and share his “Journey” with my team of senior managers and executives (approx. 50 people). My objective for asking Alex to present was to give a good example of how people overcome numerous obstacles and still come out as winners. Alex's preparation for the presentation was meticulous, he customised his presentation to my need, message ,and audience. The timing was good, the message was brilliant and the whole team were captivated with his story. The message of overcoming obstacles to still come out on top was simply thrilling"