Adventure Speaker Ed Stafford

Ed Stafford made history as the first man to walk the entire length of the Amazon River. His incredible journey took two and a half years, defying all expectations. As explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes described it: 'Truly extraordinary… in the top league of expeditions past and present'.

Ed Stafford is devoted to inspiring others. He speaks candidly about the formidable challenges he faced in the Amazon, such as alligators, snakes, severe floods, electric eels, jaguars, and the wary local tribes. Ed's story imparts powerful lessons on overcoming seemingly impossible challenges, resilience, risk-taking, collaboration, respect for other cultures and the environment, and maintaining motivation during tough times. His engaging delivery style ensures that messages about succeeding against adversity, determination, and enduring hard times are conveyed with a generous dose of humor.

Ed documented his expedition from the jungle, sharing his journey through social media. His footage was later turned into a Discovery Channel documentary, broadcast in over 100 countries. His acclaimed book, "Walking the Amazon," has been translated into several languages, including Mandarin, Ukranian, Polish, and Spanish, and published in the USA. In the book, Ed writes about his experience: ‘It was over nine million-odd steps; over 200,000 mosquito and ant bites; over 8,000 kilometers walked over 860 days, 733 of them with Cho [Gadiel ‘Cho’ Sanchez Rivera], about 600 wasp stings; a dozen or so scorpion stings; 10 HD video cameras; six pairs of boots; three GPSs and one Guinness World Record.’

News of Ed's success quickly captivated global media, resulting in over 900 articles and numerous news features. Among the many accolades, Ed was named 'Britain's most intrepid hero since Scott of the Antarctic' (Daily Mail) and 'A true hero' (The Times).

The motivational Ed Stafford was awarded European Adventurer of the Year 2011. The Guinness World Records formally recognized his achievement, and he received an award for outstanding bravery from Sir Ranulph Fiennes and the Transglobe Expedition Trust.

Following his epic Amazon walk, new challenges and opportunities arose. Ed filmed himself surviving on a deserted island for 60 days, a project that tested him in unexpected ways. The series ‘Naked and Marooned with Ed Stafford’ aired globally on Discovery Channel in 2013, and his book about the experience was published the following year. He continues to create acclaimed television projects: His subsequent survival series ‘Marooned’ was shown worldwide on Discovery in 2014/5, with a second series warmly received in 2016.

In ‘Marooned,’ Ed is left alone in extreme environments for ten days, learning to survive and filming the experience himself. In 2015, Discovery aired ‘Into The Unknown,’ where Ed explored remote locations around the world investigating unexplained markings revealed by satellite images. Ed continues to tackle exciting projects. He used his jungle expertise to assist climbing legend Joe Simpson in following his father’s WWII footsteps, featured in the BBC TV series Burma’s Secret Jungle War in May 2016.

In 2017, Ed starred in the series "Left for Dead," where he faced some of the world’s most extreme terrains: subtropical forests, frozen tundra, and desolate mountains. Dropped with no survival kit, Ed relied on his instincts to escape the wilderness within 10 days. In "First Man Out," Ed challenges elite survivalists from around the world to race to an agreed exit point across tough terrains, with a second series set for 2020.

Ed was chosen to work on the three-part documentary "60 Days on the Streets," aired on Channel 4 in 2019. His vivid depiction of sleeping rough on the streets of Manchester, London, and Glasgow gave a human face to homelessness and shared their stories.

Ed aims to use his adventures to inspire both adults and children to expand their horizons and believe in their potential.

Ed Stafford has given keynote talks in New York, London, Sydney, Istanbul, Barcelona, Geneva, and many other cities. He is rapidly becoming the go-to inspirational adventure speaker. His no-nonsense approach provides invaluable lessons from his extraordinary journey.

Speaker topics:

• Overcoming Adversity
• Taking Risks
• Resilience and Determination
• Goal-Setting
• Taking On Challenges
• Motivation

Scarlet Entertainment offers a wide range of motivational and keynote speakers for hire. Learn more on our Leadership and Motivational speakers page.

If you would like to book Ed Stafford as a motivational speaker for your event, please contact one of our Speaker Experts, who are always ready to assist.