Alex Staniforth

Alex Staniforth is a record-breaking adventurer, ultra-endurance athlete, published author, brand ambassador and charity founder from Cheshire who has never taken the conventional path to the top.

At the age of 26 he had already attempted Mount Everest twice – but Alex is not your typical Everest speaker. After climbing Mont Blanc at 17 and single-handedly raising over £35,000 in corporate sponsorship whilst still at school, his first attempt to climb to the summit of Mount Everest in 2014 was abandoned following a tragic avalanche that took sixteen lives. Aged just 19, he returned a year later and survived an avalanche in the Khumbu Icefall, triggered by the Nepal earthquake, which trapped his team on the mountain for two days.

However his biggest challenges have been much closer to home. Alex is no stranger to adversity, after overcoming epilepsy, bullying, anxiety, mental ill health and a stammer since childhood. Discovering the outdoors empowered him to achieve through adversity and take advantage of his stammer by speaking to audiences across the UK and Europe.

In 2016 he returned to the Himalayas and reached 7,125 metres on Cho Oyu, the sixth highest peak in the world. In 2017 he became the fastest person ever to climb all 100 UK county tops by bicycle, foot and kayak, covering over 5,000 miles in 72 days.

He has raised over £120,000 for charities, carried the London 2012 Olympic Torch through Chester and won a Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year award in 2017. He published his first book Icefall in 2016, endorsed by Bear Grylls, with his second title Another Peak was published in July 2019, endorsed by Mark Beaumont.

In 2020 Alex co-founded Mind Over Mountains, a national charity to restore mental well-being and resilience through outdoor experiences. He also ran the National Three Peaks Challenge, climbing and running 452 miles (17 marathons) between the UK’s three highest peaks in just 9 days 12 hours, and won TGO Magazine Silver ‘Campaigner of the Year’.

Now based in Kendal, the Lake District, he serves as an ambassador for Ordnance Survey, Inov-8, Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports and Rubicon RAW.

One Small Step: how to beat burnout and go the distance

As we emerge from the pandemic, living in survival mode and uncertainty for so long has depleted our mental health, eroded the boundaries between work and home, and created an ‘always on’ culture that undermines positive well-being habits.

From his record-breaking ultra-marathons, Alex shares proactive strategies to help us prevent, recognise and recover from burnout, one small step at a time. We will explore the stress bucket, boundaries, coping mechanisms and why resilience is about recharging, not enduring. There is no vaccine for burnout – and high performance is only sustainable if we look after ourselves and our team first.

Key topics:

• The importance of setting boundaries
• Why helping others starts with helping ourselves
• The causes of internal and external burnout
• Recognise the warning signs of burnout and how to take action
• How to support others who may be struggling
• Building a proactive approach to physical and mental well-being
• Learning from the competition, but staying in our own lane

An Invisible Mountain: opening the conversation for mental health

Adventure and sport are often seen as a pinnacle of strength and invulnerability. In this keynote, Alex will share his honest personal lived experiences of depression, anxiety and eating disorders to break down the common stigmas and myths around mental health, particularly in men. Alex will share how spending time in nature or the ‘Natural Health Service’ has been key to managing his well-being, and how we can all harness the same benefits.

We will explore the value of vulnerability, authentic conversations and how to create the positive multiplier effect to build an open culture towards mental health: ultimately building a happier and more productive team.

Key topics:

• Why proactive prevention is better than a cure
• How to manage the stress bucket to maintain positive well-being
• Why asking for help is a sign of strength
• How to listen well and support others who may be struggling
• Harnessing the positive multiplier effect to build an open mental health culture
• Building psychological safety to reduce absenteeism and presenteeism

Re-defining Success: why staying at Base Camp kills our potential

Is fear of failure keeping your team stuck at Base Camp?
A near-death experience on Mount Everest brings home why staying in our respective Base Camp stops us achieving our full potential – and might even kill us.

We will learn how sometimes not achieving our goals can teach us more than achieving them, and why failure is just another opportunity to win. Alex will share a journey of commitment, ownership and innovation to raise over £35,000 in sponsorship as a teenager and realise his goal. From the avalanche debris beneath his feet, Alex rediscovered his ‘why’ and how focusing on the process – not the outcome – can help us reframe success and achieve the extraordinary.

Key topics:
• Taking advantage of adversity to discover opportunities
• Overcome fear of failure to encourage innovation
• Why commitment is key for high achievement
• Adopting a system-focused approach to success
• Identify the intention-action gap
• Why defining our purpose drives us forward

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Clients often ask about purchasing books for giveaways and delegate packs. Below you’ll find a selection of products by Alex Staniforth. Click the images to view on Amazon's website. For bulk orders, please speak with your Booking Agent.