Ed Stafford

On the 9th August 2010, explorer Ed Stafford walked into the history books after completing the longest jungle expedition ever undertaken to become the first man to walk the length of the Amazon River.

Previously thought of as an ‘impossible’ feat, Ed’s success in navigating the entire length of the 4000 mile River on foot from its source in Peru to the mouth of the river on the shores of Brazil proved once and for all that if you have a dream, and you have the determination to succeed then nothing is impossible.

Stafford a former Captain in the Devon & Dorset’s Light Infantry regiment of the British Army, filmed and blogged his deadly journey along the longest river in the world.

His epic adventure was picked up and followed in the United States by both CNN and ABC. CNN followed Ed and his assistant Cho’s final three weeks as they neared the close of their expedition.

After 860 days of walking, Ed and Cho ran into the sea on Maruda Beach on 9th August 2010, their story made headline news around the globe featuring on every major news channel in the UK and United States.

Ed’s mission to inspire was complete. His tale of true grit, bravery and determination to succeed against all odds has led to him being described by The Daily Mail as; ‘Britain’s most intrepid hero since Scott of the Antarctic’.

Ed’s Amazon adventure online drew in millions of viewers from around the globe and was described as one of the most dangerous and difficult expeditions ever undertaken.

The 2 part documentary filmed and directed by Ed Stafford entitled ‘Walking The Amazon’ has been shown in over 100 countries around the world (including the United States) and the book of the same name has been sold around the world. Both provided an exciting and enthralling route for others into the Amazon jungle.

On his journey, Ed Stafford encountered venomous snakes, severe floods, electric eels, jaguars and hostile local tribes, one of whom held him for questioning about the murder of one of their tribesman. The route was known for drug trafficking and terrorist activity and white people were feared. However, Ed’s humour and humility helped him to pass through these dangerous areas unscathed.

Ed had to remain focused, strong and positive. He had to use his natural cunning, sense of humour and his innate ability to understand how to communicate with all the people he met along the way in order to both survive and to continue to the very end.

Ed is the first to admit that this challenge was far harder than he ever imagined. After 860 days of Walking the Amazon surely this was going to be a walk in the park?

Not so, from day one, the stark truth about being totally alone and not having anyone to turn to hit home. Ed struggled to find the basics for survival and lived off coconut water and raw snails for days. It took Ed two weeks to find the right wood to light a fire and he had to carve it into the right shape using a fragment of a clamshell. From his first night shivering, buried in the wet sand to protect himself from the wind he evolved to master the island. He made fire, bows and arrows, a shelter with rain water collection system and even an underground oven. Ed’s biggest challenge by far though was to master his own worst enemy – his mind.

Naked and Marooned with Ed Stafford:

Ed Stafford ‘s Discovery Channel series “Naked and Marooned with Ed Stafford” was conceived as the ultimate survival test.

Could you survive if you were marooned on an uninhabited tropical island with nothing? No equipment, no knife, no food, not even any clothes. Ed self-filmed this 60 day project with no assistance from the outside world and set a whole new standard for survival TV.

Ed Stafford – Keynote Speaker:

Ed’s laid back, humorous style educates and enthralls.  His presentation is a mix of narrative and pictorial anecdotes and documentary filmed by Ed himself in the jungle.  He takes the audience with him back to the jungle via his presentation and helps to inspire them to see the life ahead as an adventure ready to begin.

Ed has an amazing story to tell which truly astonishes people. He is extremely measured about his own achievements which makes him even more endearing to listen to as a speaker. The story of his adventure covers many challenging scenarios which draws out so many parallels between his own experience and the workplace. He is truly his authentic self when presenting which makes him even more fascinating to watch and listen to.

Ed’s brand new talk covers topics such as:

• Self reliance
• Self motivation
• Coping with uncertainty
• Overcoming extreme setbacks and hanging on in when things appear desperate