Motivational SpeakersJohn McCarthy CBE is Britain’s longest-held hostage. He is an Author, Journalist and Keynote Speaker.
John’s awful journey of self-discovery began in April 1986, when he worked in Beirut for a television news agency.
The political situation in Beirut escalated, and it became too dangerous to stay. He held a goodbye drinks celebration for his friends and made no secret of his route home. This proved to be his greatest mistake.
He was kidnapped at gunpoint by Islamic fundamentalists en route to the airport and spent the next five years, sometimes blindfolded, often very scared, in a mosquito-ridden cell in Lebanon where he endured beatings, physical hardship, boredom and at times, solitary confinement.
Amazingly, it wasn’t all gloom and doom. For much of his captivity, he shared his cell with Irish lecturer and philosopher Brian Keenan. Their horseplay, sense of humour and friendship were a lifesaver in every sense.
Together, they tried to understand why their guards acted as they did and what political and religious motivations and beliefs drove them. John and Brian sometimes had the courage to stand up to their captors, and at times even joked with them.
But there were hellish moments too, of course, such as the times when they were gagged and bound from head to foot in sticky tape like modern-day mummies as they were transported from one cell to another. Many incidents were hard to forgive and forget.
Incarceration taught John many things. He developed techniques to overcome physical and mental torture, self-doubt and despair. Above all, he learned to live with himself.
John McCarthy was eventually released by the Islamic militant group on 8th August 1991, after 5 years in captivity. The journalist and author was Britain’s longest-held Hostage in Lebanon.
John McCarthy Keynote Speaker:
John is an extremely popular keynote speaker, sharing his experience of being a hostage for five years in Lebanon and the extreme self-motivation he needed to stay alive.
“The way he managed to make such a potentially heavy subject so light and even get jokes in there was great”
Luton Business Link.
Audiences learn that at the forefront of his mind in captivity was an excerpt from a book about the Middle East by Freya Stark, which has become a loose philosophy for his life – “Exercise, the attainment of knowledge, the practice of affection- the three best in mankind, and beyond these a gift of the spirit which is divine.”
John’s story is dramatic, moving and humbling: his story captivates all who hear it.
Speaking themes:
- True Courage
- True Self Motivation
- True Will to Win
- True Teamwork
- Communication
- Relationships
John’s story is inspirational not only because he survived but also because he is able to describe the cruelty he suffered, as his captors tried to break his spirit, with such extraordinary dignity and humour.
