Scott Parazynski

Scott Parazynski

• Highly decorated astronaut, medical doctor, aviation expert, mountain climber, SCUBA diver, inventor, and CEO of a company specialising in technology
• Inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame as well as the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame
• First and only astronaut ever to stand on the summit of Mount Everest
• Winter Olympics competitor, coach, and Honorary Olympics Captain

A man whose life has been filled with many and varied accomplishments, Scott Parazynski is a highly decorated astronaut, medical doctor, aviation expert, mountain climber and explorer, world traveller, entrepreneur, and inventor. He is also a much sought after keynote speaker.

After spending a substantial part of his childhood travelling and staying in such diverse areas of the globe as Lebanon, Dakar, Iran, and Greece, Scott Parazynski graduated from Stanford University and Stanford Medical School. From there, he went to Harvard in order to prepare for a career in emergency medicine and trauma.

Scott Parazynski was elected to join NASA’s Astronaut Corps in 1992. He flew 5 Space Shuttle Missions and conducted seven spacewalks during his 17 years as an astronaut. This period also saw him serve several senior leadership roles, including that of EVA Branch Chief and that of Lead Astronaut for Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System Inspection and Repair.

Amongst his many and various mission highlights, Scott Parazynski includes a globing mission map, leading the first joint US-Russian spacewalk while docked at Mir, the Russian space station, and serving as Senator John Glenn’s crewmate and personal physician. He is the second astronaut who has performed four spacewalks on a single Space Shuttle Mission. Of these, the fourth spacewalk is regarded by many as one of the most challenging and dangerous ever performed. This particular spacewalk saw him the furthest from the safety of an airlock than any other astronaut previously. His aim was to repair a fully energised solar array wing. This was successful due to the tremendous coordination effort in orbit and on the ground by Mission Control and other engineering experts.

With regards to his career in space, Scott Parazynski has spent a total of eight weeks in space with over 47 hours outside on spacewalks. He was inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame at Kennedy Space Centre in 2016.

A SCUBA diver and mountaineer, Scott Parazynski’s love of climbing started as a teenager. He has, thus far, climbed in the Alaska Mountain Range, the Cascades, Rockies, Alps, Andes, and Himalayas. His second Mount Everest attempt in 2009 was successful and saw him become the first, and only, astronaut to ever accomplish this feat. He also, as part of a NASA-sponsored expedition, conducted a scientific dive in the summit caldera lake of the Licancabur volcano. This is the highest lake on the planet.

Scott Parazynski, on a more recent note, served as the Founding Director and Chief Medical Officer for a Polar Medical Operations expedition. This task saw him oversee the medical screening and on-ice care of the National Science Foundation’s US Antarctic Programme.

A prolific inventor and product developer who serves on the boards of several organisations and companies, Scott Parazynski is the co-founder of Blue Marble Exploration. He serves as the organisation’s Chief Explorer. The company’s focus is on pushing human capabilities in extreme environments by means of technological innovation. He is also the Managing Director of Apogee Interests which is focused on commercializing his various medical devices, gear, and consumer products developed for extreme environments.

In 2014, Scott Parazynski was designated University Explorer and Professor of Practice at Arizona State University. He is also the recipient of numerous awards. Amongst these he includes:

• Five NASA Spaceflight Medals
• Two NASA Distinguished Service Medals
• Two NASA Exceptional Service Medals
• Two Vladimir Komarov Diplomas from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
• Two Flight Achievement Awards from the American Astronomical Association
• The Aviation Week Laureate Award
• The Antarctica Service Medal
• The Ellis Island Family Heritage Award
• The Gold Medal from the American Institute of Polish Culture
• The National Eagle Scout Association’s Outstanding Eagle Award
• The Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
• The Lowell Thomas Award from the Explorers Club

In addition to the above-mentioned achievements, Scott Parazynski was a Top 10 competitor in the 1998 US Olympic Luge team and served as a coach for the Philipines during the Calgary Olympic Winter Games. He was also elected as an Honorary Captain for the US Olympic Luge Team for the Vancouver Games. Scott Parazynski is also a member of the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame and was awarded a doctorate from the the Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Poland.

Scott Parazynski – Speaker

Scott Parazynski is a keynote speaker who offers talks about innovation, risk management, mentorship, and leadership under severely adverse conditions. He lives in the USA and presents in English.

Speaking Topics

• LEADERSHIP UNDER EXTREME ADVERSITY, ON AND OFF THE PLANET: Scott has brought diverse teams together, challenging enormous odds on, well above and underneath the earth’s surface. Drawing on his lessons learned from the harsh vacuum of space, the route to the summit of Everest, and within tense operating rooms and board rooms, he relates attributes of situationally appropriate leadership and company culture that have yielded enormous successes over many years. Punctuated by great storytelling, breathtaking imagery, and self-deprecating good humor, his style is relatable and inspirational to all audiences!
• MURPHY’S LAW ON THE FINAL FRONTIER: YOU’D BETTER BE PREPARED! Parazynski has spoken all over the world about the rigors, risks, and rewards of exploration in extreme environments, deriving important lessons in teamwork, risk management and leadership under the most demanding circumstances, on or off the planet. He derives lessons from a wide range of spaceflight missions and mountaineering expeditions where in-depth preparation saved the day, and often much more. A focused approach to preparation for critical tasks leads to success, even if via unforeseen “detours.”

• THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED: FINDING YOUR WAY TOWARDS REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Parazynski has spoken all over the world about the rigors, risks, and rewards of exploration in extreme environments, deriving important lessons in teamwork, risk management and leadership under the most demanding circumstances, on or off the planet. He derives lessons from an international upbringing in war-torn Beirut and Tehran, from those who inspired him to pursue his passions, and from “the view from the top of the planet,” which he attained via rocket as well as on foot… As he says: “Life’s greatest lessons come from outside the classroom” – based on the people we meet, the experiences we pursue and having an openness to new challenges. Through perseverance, rigorous preparation and a willingness to fail every once and awhile, enormous rewards often ensue… He shares his path through life with stunning imagery, good humor, and relatable anecdotes. Your employees will see their own pathways towards making a difference!

• MANAGING RISK VS. “TAKING RISK”: Scott has zoomed down luge tracks at breakneck speeds, flown high-performance supersonic aircraft, walked in space at considerable peril, summited Mount Everest after rupturing a lumbar disc on his first attempt, performed a scientific dive in the world’s highest lake and faced myriad other technical challenges in the planet’s most extreme environments – but he is no daredevil. He prepares for work in these challenging realms by exhaustive study, training, previsualization (of success as well as overcoming obstacles) and having a backup to the backup plan. Knowing how complex systems work and how they might fail is one of many skills in his toolkit, and his lessons learned are imminently relatable to all industries. An approachable storyteller, he warmly shares his experiences in a way that leaves audiences knowing they can translate them into their own lives.
• THE OPPORTUNITY & THE OBLIGATION TO INNOVATE: For a company to be truly disruptive and grow, it must create an environment wherein every employee is not only allowed to contribute to the advancement of the mission, they feel a deep-seated Obligation to Innovate. That’s the kind of environment and work ethic Scott has spent a lifetime advancing: from developing tools and techniques to recover from the Space Shuttle Columbia accident to developing innovative medical devices and enhancing safety on the slopes of the world’s highest mountains, he draws on his background working in extreme environments as a catalyst for innovation in daily life. He can transfer this mindset to your workforce with powerful examples from aerospace, medicine, mountaineering and everyday life with engaging, relatable stories and good humor!

• TENACITY REDEFINED: ACHIEVING THE SUMMIT OF EVEREST FROM SPACE AND ON FOOT! Scott first read of the early heroic and sometimes tragic conquests of Everest as a young boy, but it wasn’t until he ogled it from 250 miles straight up – from the overhead windows of Space Shuttle Atlantis – that he really committed to getting there on foot one day. His path to the physical summit was zig-zagged but unwavering. He tells his tales with self-deprecation and good humor, fighting back after a serious back injury high on the mountain to return the next year a half inch shorter but twice as committed…! This is an exciting and inspirational story of tenacity and teamwork that appeals to a wide range of corporate clients.