Voted as one of the UK’s top 15 motivational speakers!
After waking up paralyzed from the waist down in January 2014 due to a condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), Jamie McAnsh embarked on an incredible journey. Instead of allowing his wheelchair to confine him, he chose to live life unconventionally.
Jamie McAnsh’s determination led him to climb a mountain using only his hands. His inspiring story includes being capped for Wales in rugby in 2014 and currently playing wheelchair basketball for Cardiff.
Jamie’s resilience extends beyond sports. He made history as the first disabled squash player to compete in a Welsh Open Tournament and achieved a respectable ranking in the world. His taste for adventure grew, and he committed himself to proving that disabilities do not define one’s abilities.
See Jamie McAnsh’s story on GB News below:
He aims to spread this empowering message to others. Jamie’s accomplishments have garnered numerous awards, including the Greatest Achievement Award in 2017.
Notably, he became the inaugural winner of the Charles Holland Award in 2016, earning recognition in the “against all the odds” category.
This honour recognized his completion of 12 extreme challenges in 12 months, which raised an impressive £250,000 for various charities across the UK. Among these challenges, Jamie hand-cycled 100 miles in just 13 hours and became the first wheelchair user to conquer the demanding WAAT4 challenge through the Brecon Beacons mountain range.
In May 2022, Jamie McAnsh accomplished yet another remarkable feat. He became the first person with CRPS to ascend to Everest Basecamp using crutches, joining an exclusive group of disabled climbers who have achieved this extraordinary milestone.
Despite his remarkable achievements, Jamie faced his own struggles with anxiety and depression, feeling like a burden to those around him. However, he confronted these challenges head-on and found inspiration in his own journey. This led him to embark on a career as an inspirational speaker, sharing his experiences and addressing topics such as diversity, anxiety, depression, goal-setting, and overcoming adversity. Jamie has shared his powerful message with audiences of all ages and backgrounds, leaving a lasting impact wherever he goes.
Jamie McAnsh is a knowledgeable and experienced speaker who specializes in addressing various topics during corporate and team-building days. His areas of expertise include diversity and inclusion, anxiety and depression, goal-setting, overcoming adversity, the power of teamwork, adapting to change, and positive thinking and well-being. Jamie is passionate about helping individuals understand these topics and apply them to both their personal and professional lives.
In schools and learning organizations, Jamie speaks to children and young adults, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and resilience. He aims to empower them to make positive changes in their lives and covers subjects such as mental health, the path to success, diversity and inclusion, anxiety and depression, goal-setting, and overcoming adversity. Jamie encourages them to realize that regardless of the challenges they face, they possess the capability to bounce back and leave their mark on the world.
Drawing from his experience as a professional sportsperson, Jamie provides valuable insights to sports teams and athletes. He emphasizes the significance of discipline, teamwork, mental health, communication, and overcoming adversity in achieving great success. His knowledge of the challenges faced in sports helps equip athletes to overcome obstacles and accomplish their goals, even in seemingly impossible situations.
Additionally, Jamie is an experienced after-dinner keynote speaker who captivates and motivates his audience. He shares his personal journey of facing challenges, adversity, depression, and surviving suicide, delivering a simple yet powerful message: in the face of adversity, extraordinary achievements become possible. Jamie’s inspiring story serves as a reminder that sometimes all it takes to save a life is lending a friendly ear.
The key takeaways from Jamie McAnsh’s corporate and team-building days are empowering individuals to embrace diversity and inclusion, understand and address mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, set meaningful goals and overcome adversity, recognize the power of teamwork and effective communication, adapt to change with resilience, and foster a positive mindset and well-being. Jamie’s message resonates with both professionals and students, reminding them that they have the capability to make positive changes in their lives and leave a lasting impact on the world.
Through his personal experiences and insights, Jamie McAnsh inspires audiences to face challenges head-on, persevere in the face of adversity, and seek support and understanding from others. His engaging and motivational speaking style leaves a lasting impression and encourages individuals to strive for greatness, both personally and professionally.
“The event went really well and Jamie was fantastic. All parents and students loved his talk and the messages it gave them in terms of the mindset needed to overcome adversity, show perseverance and the motivation needed to succeed in what you do. Thanks so much for suggesting Jamie as a speaker for the event and the organisation you and the team put into setting everything up.”
Oakwood Park Grammar School
“I just wanted to say thank you for your help in arranging Jamie’s talk yesterday – everyone loved his speech and was fascinated by all the challenges he has overcome! He is a truly remarkable human being and his presentation outperformed my expectations. Really pleased with him.”
TP ICAP
“Just a quick email to say thanks so much for hosting our Buzz Session today. What an inspiring story. Everyone in the office is chatting away about how they found your journey through life and how they relate to the ups and downs along the way. Best of luck with your next challenge, keep it up!”
Aegon
“Wanted to say thank you for organising and for Chris recommending Jamie – he was the perfect choice for our away day. He had such an amazing story to share and has achieved some pretty incredible things. I believe one of my colleagues is planning on getting in touch to do a talk to our mental health network as his journey has been extraordinary”
EDF Energy
“It was brilliant, thank you so much for sorting. He was not only an excellent speaker but such a great guest and person too”
Bonhill Plc
“It went really well, Jamie was great and it really hit the right notes with the team”
Vanarama
“Yesterday’s meeting with Jamie was perfect! He exceeded our expectations and we can’t wait to share the video with the wider business next Wednesday. Everything he spoke about resonated with everyone on the call and I know he will have the same effect when it’s aired next week to the rest of the business.”
Arjo
Such a huge thank you from Arjo!! The team loved the session today – as ever has had an impact on the team and thought-provoking and really appreciate how you made this relevant for the HR team.
Arjo
“I speak for the management team of 60 colleagues when I say the session delivered by James was moving, inspiring, encouraging and motivating all rolled into one. I am pleased we chose James and I would happily recommend him to others depending on the requirements of their audience.”
Whinfell Forest
“Jamie delivered an amazing session for our company as part of our Mental Health Awareness Week. His story was an emotional journey told with such honesty and somehow humour, leaving everyone in awe and inspired. I cannot recommend a speaking session from Jamie highly enough. He was a pleasure to work with throughout the process and has left a lasting impression on myself and everyone who attended the session.”
Red Gate
“Thanks Jamie for an inspiring and entertaining talk focused on overcoming adversity, goal setting, and resilience. It has really helped the team reflect and refocus. Some great takeaways – be true to yourself, communicate, collaborate, and go at the pace that is right for you! Make sure you surround yourself with ‘radiators’ and not ‘drainpipes’ and recognise that we will all have ‘muddy puddle’ days, but we must have faith in the process and the people around you!”
Illumina
“We thoroughly enjoyed Jamie’s presentation. It was inspiring, interesting, and very high energy.”
GHO Capital