International Day of Disability
- Former rugby player and recovering quadriplegic
- Mountain climber, adventurer, and broadcaster
- Co-founder of Millimetres 2 Mountains charity
Ed Jackson is a former professional rugby player, broadcaster, author, and adventurer whose extraordinary story of recovery and reinvention has inspired audiences worldwide. After a devastating spinal cord injury in 2017 left him paralysed from the neck down, Ed defied all odds to walk again, climb mountains, and rebuild his life with renewed purpose.
Today, Ed shares powerful lessons on resilience, perspective, and the strength of the human spirit. Drawing on his background in elite sport and his experience of catastrophic injury, he demonstrates how to overcome adversity through goal setting, reframing setbacks, and embracing discomfort as a catalyst for growth. His story resonates across industries, offering practical insights into leadership, teamwork, and performance under pressure.
Ed’s recovery journey has seen him summit peaks such as Snowdon and Mera Peak, co-found the charity Millimetres 2 Mountains to support others facing adversity, and launch businesses including Vapoura Rum. Alongside his speaking career, he has become a familiar face on Channel 4, presenting Paralympic coverage during Tokyo 2021 and hosting athletics at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Ed equips organisations with practical strategies for navigating change and uncertainty. His framework for goal setting, reframing setbacks, and embracing discomfort as a growth catalyst helps teams develop mental toughness and adaptability essential in today's challenging business environment.
Audiences leave Ed's presentations with concrete tools to cultivate resilience during adversity, practical methods to transform limitations into opportunities, and renewed clarity about focusing on possibilities rather than obstacles. His authentic approach creates lasting impact by connecting universal human experiences to everyday workplace challenges.
Book Ed to inspire your team with actionable insights that turn setbacks into stepping stones for extraordinary achievement.
Topics, sessions and talks
After a life-changing accident, Ed Jackson discovered the power of perspective. In this talk, he shares how reframing negative experiences can open new pathways to growth, productivity, and fulfilment. Using personal stories of recovery and reinvention, he demonstrates how a positive mindset isn’t about denial of hardship, but about choosing courage and optimism as tools for transformation in business and in life.
Ed Jackson explores how true resilience is built not in comfort, but through challenge. Drawing from his own recovery and mountain expeditions, he reveals how pushing beyond perceived limits can unlock clarity, focus, and self-belief. With humour and honesty, Ed shows how embracing discomfort transforms potential into performance, helping individuals and teams adapt and thrive in uncertain or high-pressure environments.
Blind Summits: Next Steps in the Face of Uncertainty
In moments of uncertainty, progress often depends on focusing only on what’s directly ahead. Ed Jackson uses his journey of climbing mountains after paralysis to show how breaking down overwhelming goals into small, achievable steps creates clarity and momentum. His message offers powerful lessons in perseverance, adaptability, and maintaining focus when the end goal seems out of sight.
Ed's Story: Millimetres 2 Mountains
Ed Jackson takes audiences from the height of professional rugby to the depths of paralysis and back to the mountain summits he was told he’d never reach. Through his story of determination and recovery, he explores how to overcome fear, set meaningful goals, and find purpose in adversity. His powerful narrative reminds audiences that progress is measured not by speed, but by perseverance, focus, and belief in the next step.
Why we recommend booking Ed
Ed Jackson delivers powerful insights on resilience and adaptability, drawing from his extraordinary journey from paralysis to mountain climbing, equipping teams with practical strategies to transform setbacks into opportunities. Book this former rugby player and Paralympics presenter to inspire your organisation with actionable frameworks that cultivate mental toughness and drive extraordinary achievement in today's challenging business environment.
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Working with PepTalk has been an absolute breeze. Every speaker we’ve heard from has been absolutely perfect for our needs and the conversation we want to share with our colleagues. Notably Ed Jackson’s talk was inspiring, vulnerable and so honest and his story and delivery has left a lasting impression on all of us. The team at PepTalk are so attentive and have been able to translate our requests into the perfect reality.
Made a tangible impact on my staff who were hugely complimentary about Ed's inspirational talk. Highly recommend for any team going through a period of change or transformation.
Gareth Nokes
Chief Financial Officer, Aspen Insurance Group
Very inspiring talk from Ed Jackson at Microsoft yesterday. Incredible story, amazing what can be achieved with the right mind set and determination. Highly recommended.
Director Customer Programs, Microsoft
