James Gwinnett

James Gwinnett was a larger than life semi-pro rugby player, an alpha male full of charisma and stature. But in 2013 when a tackle went drastically wrong James was left with a broken neck and his life was to drastically change.

Housebound without pay, he was stripped of his macho identity and his healthy, disciplined routine was replaced with an emptiness he attempted to fill with alcohol. This left him in a spiral of self-medication, depression and alchohol addiction that would last for three years, a time he describes as a dark, tragic merry-go-round.

Before the accident, James Gwinnett had prided himself as ‘one of the lads’, a 6ft 5, 17-stone alpha male. The loss of this identity hit hard, as did the loss of his physical routines and activity.

After three years in a dark place, it would be a fitness challenge that would be his redemption. James entered and ran the London Marathon, a challenge that was the trigger for becoming sober and many more extreme endurance challenges. He has since run marathons on several continents and these have progressed to ultramarathons of increasing distances.

Other endurance challenges James has completed include becoming the first person to run the length of the Cotswolds Way (102 miles) solo and unsupported in May 2021

James Gwinnett was also a ‘recruit’ on Series 4 of Channel 4’s acclaimed SAS: Who Dares Wins, the brutal show that puts civilians through a version of Special Forces training. Spending two weeks at altitude, high up in the Andes, James was one of eight to ‘survive’ through to the final day despite being pushed to his physical and mental limits. He was praised by the Directing Staff for his military officer potential.

Now a serial endurance challenger all over the world, James Gwinnett continues to hone his mental resilience, pushing himself further and further on a continual journey of growth.

James Gwinnett is a powerful and engaging motivational speaker, who tackles the challenging subjects of mental health, overcoming failure and finding identity, engaging audiences with his storytelling technique and unique experiences.

His story is an inspirational one and his message is a reminder of what can be achieved with the right mindset and self belief.

Contact Great British Speakers today to book inspirational survivor of broken neck and serial endurance challenger James Gwinnett  for your next event.

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