Born into poverty, Maria Conceicao began cleaning toilets; no-one would have expected that she would ever rise beyond an early marriage and a life of gruelling manual labour. But through sheer force of character, she became an elite flight attendant who travelled the world in luxury as VIP Flight Attendant for the Dubai Royal Airwing of Emirates Airlines.

But her life changed in 2005, when she took a flight to the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka where she witnessed extreme poverty in the slums, which changed her outlook on life. Maria knew she had to step out of her comfort zone, and reinvented herself as an adventurer, athlete, and mountaineer.

That same year, she started an initiative in the slums of Bangladesh, where she has helped over 100 families, and more than 600 children get an education, helping them to become the first generation students graduating from University.

MARIA CONCEICAO | ATHLETE AND ADVENTURER

Maria set herself up a series of challenges to raise money for these children’s educations, and she has since overcome staggering odds.

In 2013, Maria became the first Portuguese woman to summit Mount Everest. She is also the first Portuguese woman to trek to the North and South Poles. She holds eight Guinness World Records for running ultra marathons and Ironman Triathlons, despite having no formal background or training in sports. She even taught herself to swim just so she could cross the  English Channel to raise money and continue her philanthropic work.

And then in July 2024, she reached the summit of K2, becoming the first Portuguese woman to reach the summit of two peaks above 8,000 ft. and in October 2024 she summited Puncak Jaya in Indonesia, becoming only the 77th person – and first Portuguese person – to complete the Explorers Grand Slam.

MARIA CONCEICAO | AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

– Most Exceptional and Innovative European Woman of the Year (2007)

– Emirates Humanitarian Women of the Year (2009)

– Emirates Women of the Year (2009)

– Voted Alhan Hot 100 Entrepreneur in UAE (2010)

– The Special Mention for Child Welfare by Petrochem (2012)

– Most Inspiring Women of the GCC by Kraft (2012)

– Sustainability Leadership Award (2013)

– Inspiring Change Award International Gulf Organisation (2013)

– Runner Up Humanitarian Women of the Year by Inspiring Women Belgium (2014)

– Louvor Nobre Casa da Cidadania (2014)

– Cidadao Nobre Portugal (2015)

– Cosmopolitan Female Role Model (2015)

– GQ Portugal Women of the Year (2016)

– Barbie Inspiring Women Role Model Award Portugal (2017)

– Climbed Vinson Massif, Antarctica (2018)

– First Portuguese Woman to the South Pole (2018)

– Women of Substance Dubai Women Run (2018)

– Mulher Inspiradora Running Category Revista Activa (2021)

MARIA CONCEICAO | WRITER

Maria Conceicao has used her expertise and experiences to produce a number of successful non-fiction books, including:

A Woman on Top of the World: follows the life story of Maria, talking of the many obstacles she faced on a journey to fulfil a promise.

Butterfly Stories: it is only after the butterfly has tirelessly fought its way out of the cocoon that its full transformation into a symbol of beauty is revealed, and it is the fight itself that produces that transformation. This book is full of personal accounts of rescue and transformation.

Butterfly Stories 2: the second part of the above book, this is about transformation, about the ability of any person to change their world through a willingness to reject negative values and learn and live good values instead.

Altered Path: a collection of short inspirational stories of powerful women, whom despite unimageable hardship and injustice, managed to persevere and transform into who they are today.

The World Needs Superheroes: not all heroes wear capes. Everyone who has given their life to something bigger than oneself is a hero. This is the story of a hero who tried to make this cold world into a warmer place for people to live in.

MARIA CONCEICAO | CORPORATE WORK

“My story is not an ordinary one and it is far from complete – may the challenges I took on and the tears and struggles I encountered along the way encourage you to make the world a better place and reach beyond your own limits”.

Recognising the power of her story, organisations around the world have invited Maria to speak about the trajectory of her life and to encourage others to pursue their own goals and dreams. She has spoken at small corporate events to audiences in their thousands.

Her story gives incredible examples of innovation, agility, and leadership, a never-give-up attitude and strength to constantly re-invent herself. She offers her audience practical advice on what it takes to turn dreams into reality, how to stop your mind from playing tricks on you, how to overcome fear, and how to get things done.

Based in Dubai, and bilingual in English and Portuguese, Maria Conceicao’s most popular keynote topics are:

The Power of Mindset: Through her achievements, Maria illustrates the strength of mental endurance and resilience. She delves into techniques for overcoming challenges, setting ambitious goals and building mental toughness to achieve the extraordinary

Breaking Barriers & Pushing Boundaries: Maria shares the journey of how she rose to become a world-record-breaking endurance athlete, despite beginning her journey later in life with limited resources and support. Her message emphasises that no obstacle is insurmountable when one dares to believe in their potential.

Performance and Goal Setting: With a proven track record of setting and achieving – audacious goals, Maria shares insights on how to set achievable milestones, stay motivated under pressure and navigate setbacks. Her strategies resonate with high-performance teams, athletes and anyone aiming for excellence.

Redefining Success in Adversity: Maria’s journey offers a powerful narrative on redefining success and adapting to change, perfect for audiences facing industry shifts or personal challenges. She inspires individuals to keep going even when facing daunting odds, offering a roadmap to persevere with focus and resilience.

Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great British Speakers now to book Maria Conceicao for your next live event.

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