Belgium: A master of resilience, who overcame adversity to achieve the unimaginable
Belgium
Europe
Marc Herremans is no stranger to adversity. It is something he lives with daily. Yet this sportsman has overcome more challenges than most of us dream of. He is a master of resilience.
As a teenager, Marc Herremans aspired to become a boxing champion. After leaving school and joining the military as a Para Commando, he realised he liked the training but not the boxing. After leaving the military, he never stopped training and started to work as a joiner and joined the volunteer fire corps. But something was missing.
In 2001, Marc Herremans found his calling. A television programme about the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon made him realise what he wanted out of life. He wanted to become a triathlon athlete. Soon after training, he became the Belgian champion – twice – and came eighth in the world championship. This gave him the confidence to take part in the Hawaii Ironman championship. At 27, he was the youngest professional athlete to do so. He placed sixth.
The following year, 2002, was supposed to be Marc Herremans’ dream year. He was steadfast in becoming the World Champion Ironman. But then tragedy struck.
During his preparations for the Ironman 2002 competition, Marck Herremans took a fall during training. He severely injured his spinal cord. Three specialists in three hospitals in three countries gave him the same verdict: he was paralysed from the chest down. He would never walk again. The world’s most promising professional athlete would not achieve his dream. He was, instead, sentenced to spend his life in a wheelchair.
Someone whose life was spent pursuing physical activity could no longer do what he loved – train and participate in triathlons. Depression sunk in. It was the darkest time of his life.
It was a visit from his nephew that made Marc Herremans realise that although he had lost the use of his limbs, he was lucky to be alive. Life had given him a second chance, and he focused on not abusing it.
Marc Herremans looked at his bucket list and decided to tick off as many boxes that were left as he could. He started training harder than ever before, founded the “To Walk Again Foundation”, and received a knighthood for his positive attitude, dedication, and commitment to helping others. He also received the Sports Personality of the Year Award in Belgium. To add to this, he succeeded in becoming the 2006 World Champion Ironman – in a wheelchair!
The next year saw Marc Herremans compete in the world’s toughest mountain bike rice in Australia. No person in a wheelchair had ever competed in this race that took place in the Australian outback. He showed his fortitude in completing the event, proving that with the right mindset and the backing of a strong team, anything was possible.
In 2008, Marc Herremans started to share his expertise, coaching athletes in various sporting disciplines. These included motocross, BMX, cycling, triathlons, and more. His efforts saw him nominated for the Belgian Coach of the Year Award. In 2012, he founded the 185 Coaching Centre with his partner, who happened to be his brother-in-law.
The following year, Marc Herremans ticked off the most precious item on his bucket list – he became a father to the first of his three children – 12 years after becoming paralysed.
In 2016, Marc Herremans became a director for the Wings for Life World Run. This is the world’s biggest running event that helps raise money for spinal cord injury research.
Although Marc Herremans proved himself to be a world-class coach, with his athletes winning numerous European Championships, he saw his first World Championship win as a coach in 2020. It was also during this time that he managed to tick another box on his bucket list when he established Rehab Meadow. This was a place designed for the needs of disabled children where they could interact with animals and nature. It opened its doors in 2021. The children of his Wings For Hope project do much of their training there.
The 2024 Wings For Life World Run made a massive difference in the lives of many, with proceeds going towards spinal cord injury research.
Venturing into healthy eating, Marc Herremans launched a new brand of overnight oats shakes called X-Oats. He donates part of the profits of this all-natural product to eco-friendly projects.
He has also authored two books. With Dieter De Schutter ‘s first book ‘Wood’ portrays his story and that of the Athletes For Hope Project. Part of the book’s proceeds go to this project. His second book, Tree, tells the story of overcoming adversity.
Marc Herremans, a much sought-after motivational speaker, shares an inspiring story. The man who, despite adversity, has become a world-class coach, CEO of 185 Coaching, and much more tells a story of how to turn the impossible into a success.
Marc Herremans helps audiences with:
The duration of Marc’s motivational speech can vary from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on your programme. Marc will give a PowerPoint presentation and show a film that will last 11 minutes.
Marc uses playing cards to demonstrate that everyone, with the right tools and focus, possesses the power to challenge the now and the future.
He lives in Belgium and speaks Dutch and English.
Speaker Topics
“Marc spoke at our company event in September in Rome, and his story left a lasting impact on everyone in the room. Using a powerful analogy to playing cards, he guided us through his life journey—at times brutal and difficult to hear, yet always marked by honesty, resilience, and an unyielding will to fight. His storytelling was both moving and deeply inspiring, reminding us all that no matter the cards life deals us, we have the power to make the best of them. It was a truly memorable experience that resonated with every attendee.”
"Marc Herremans has a remarkable story of success, to tragic accident, to success again on the world stage. His inspirational story has been told in over 45 countries to more than 700 audiences over a 20 year period. We highly recommend Marc for audiences where themes such as risk, overcoming challenges, teamwork and high performance are required."
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