Motivational SpeakersBenedict Allen is one of Britain’s best-known Explorers.
Benedict has published over ten books, and his pioneering films of his expeditions, occasionally with a film crew but more typically without, have paved the way for the current generation of TV adventurers.
Uniquely in television, his philosophy is to immerse himself in extreme or alien environments, relying not on satellite phones and other forms of backup but to go alone and learn from indigenous people.
Benedict read Environmental Science at the University of East Anglia. He crammed three scientific expeditions (to a volcano in Costa Rica, a remote forest in Brunei and a glacier in Iceland) into his final year. Then followed a short stint at the University of Aberdeen, where he worked out how to undertake his first independent expedition, a crossing from the mouth of the Orinoco to the mouth of the Amazon.
‘Britain’s most fearless man’
The Radio Times
His idea became the cornerstone for all his future ventures: he would immerse himself among indigenous, so-called “tribal” people and hope for their assistance. He saw many environments, such as the Amazon and Borneo, as a home rather than a threat. If he went to them alone and successfully sank into their world, he might gain a different perspective that he could explore.
Having worked in a warehouse to gain funds, his first solo journey followed – from the mouth of the Orinoco to the mouth of the Amazon. During this expedition, had to resort to eating his dog to survive.
Next came six months spent in New Guinea. He underwent a brutal male initiation ceremony to try and understand something of the world of the Niowra, or so-called “Crocodile People”. With other initiates being permanently scarred and then beaten every day for six weeks to be made a man “as strong as a crocodile”.
Over thirty years later, few Westerners have spent so long isolated in many remote natural environments.
Television Adventurer
His video diary, Raiders of the Lost Lake, gained the highest viewing figures in the format’s history.
This was followed by several BBC TV series, including:
- The Skeleton Close – the story of his arduous three-and-a-half-month walk with reluctant camels through the Namib Desert.
- Edge of Blue Heaven – a five-and-a-half-month trek by horse and camel from the forests of Siberia.
- Mombasa to the Mountains of the Moon – a film for the BBC’s prestigious Great Railway Journeys series.
- The Bones of Colonel Fawcett – about his search for an explorer in the Mato Grosso.
- Last of the Medicine Men – investigating shamans and so-called witchdoctors around the world.
- Icedogs – a 1000-mile trek through Siberia with a dog team in the worst winter in memory.
In 2004, he launched his highly praised anthology of adventurers, The Faber Book of Exploration. The book features excerpts from heroic pioneers past and present. The Literary Review says it is a “monumental feat of compilation and editing.”
Benedict attracted global media attention in 2017 when he encountered devastating obstacles following an expedition into the heart of Papua New Guinea. Having tackled the notorious Central Range, Benedict contracted both malaria and dengue fever. Furthermore, he became trapped in a dense jungle where local communities were at war.
A multi-national search-and-rescue mission was launched – and Benedict was at last extracted by helicopter. This adventure is the basis of Benedict’s book, Explorer: The Quest for Adventure and the Great Unknown.
Benedict Allen – Keynote Speaker:
A world-renowned explorer and hard-core adventurer speaker, Benedict can motivate and invigorate various audiences. Benedict has many fascinating and hair-raising tales to tell, which he skilfully adapts to suit his audience.
Though his speeches are exciting, entertaining, and inspiring, their underlying message is that we all have our jungles. The office environment, marketplace, and world economy are highly competitive places – never more so now.
When speaking about triumphing in a competitive world, Benedict compares his extraordinary survival experiences in the most remote places on Earth to the global ‘jungle’ we all inhabit.
Themes he touches upon include:
- Learning how to react in a crisis
- The value of commitment and perseverance
- The importance of being flexible and able to adapt to changing circumstances
- Developing leadership capabilities while also being able to listen to and learn from those around you.
