Craig Wood
Build unstoppable resilience with Craig Wood, speaker and record-setting triple amputee sailor. Craig works with organisations to develop leadership under pressure, overcome adversity, and challenge disability assumptions, delivering insights from his world-first Pacific Ocean crossing achievement.
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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At the age of 18, Craig lost both legs and a hand in an IED explosion while stationed in Afghanistan. He spent years rebuilding his physical strength, confidence, and identity. Sailing became his outlet and, ultimately, his purpose. He has since covered more than 20,000 nautical miles, captaining a custom-built aluminium catamaran adapted for one-arm handling. In 2025, Craig became the first triple amputee to complete a solo, non-stop, unsupported crossing of the Pacific Ocean. This world-first achievement followed earlier recognition as Yorkshire Man of the Year and Inspirational Sailor of the Year from the Young Cruisers Association.
Craig shares his experiences with audiences ranging from corporate teams to veteran organisations, schools, and public events. His work focuses on resilience, mindset, and the practical skills needed to keep moving through uncertainty. He also supports fellow veterans through sailing-based programmes, and has introduced many people to the therapeutic potential of being on the water.
Craig’s presentations offer direct, lived insight into perseverance, problem-solving, and leadership under pressure. Audiences gain a clearer understanding of how inner strength is built through action, not theory, and how reframing limitations can open new paths forward for individuals and teams.
Book Craig to bring a perspective shaped by experience, honesty, and a determination to help others navigate their own challenges.
Topics, Sessions And Talks
Craig Wood charts a journey that begins with an IED blast on his first deployment and leads to a world-first solo sailing attempt across the Pacific. Craig shows how determination, adaptability, and a refusal to be limited by circumstance can transform even the hardest setbacks. His open, live-free style encourages audiences to challenge assumptions, rethink capability, and confront obstacles with greater confidence. Participants gain practical insight into resilience, perspective, and sustained commitment under pressure.
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