Katie-Jane L'Herpiniere: Adventurer, Model & Endurance Athlete

Katie-Jane L'Herpiniere: Keynote Talks, after dinner

#Motivation   #Change   #Inspiration   #Endurance   #Cycling

Katie-Jane L’Herpiniere proves that we can embrace change, set difficult ambitious goals, stay motivated against the odds and achieve extraordinary things.  As Katie-Jane says: 'we just need to be bold enough to begin.'

Katie-Jane's life used to be very different.  Katie-Jane was a successful commercial model for clients such as Alexander McQueen and M&S and she enjoyed the opportunities that came her way, such as being the body-double for Cameron Diaz in the film The Holiday. However, following a chance meeting with explorer Tarka L'Herpiniere, Katie-Jane began to imagine a different future self.  She left the world of the international catwalk to take on tough adventurous challenges – swapping high heels to try out ice-climbing boots and abandoning salads for double-cream as she began to learn how to fuel and strengthen her body for endurance. 

Katie-Jane became the first woman to walk the entire Great Wall of China unsupported from its most westerly terminus to its most easterly. This trek took six months and covered 3,000 miles (4,300km).  Katie-Jane uses wonderful images and film footage to illustrate this life-changing expedition and share the lessons she learnt.

Katie-Jane then made the first major crossing by a woman of the Southern Patagonian ice-cap, cycled through Africa, and more recently, she has competed in ultra-cycling competitive events such as the TransContinental Race.  Not one to stay in her comfort zone, Katie-Jane is currently taking on A Year of Adventures - each of the twelve challenges push her to the limit, develops her skills and resilience. 

Katie-Jane's presentations encourage others to get out of their comfort zones and stretch their horizons.  

Natural, vivacious, entertaining and engaging, Katie-Jane brings alive the highs and the lows of her story.  Katie-Jane is able to tailor her talk drawing on her expedition through remote, rural China, to crossing the Patagonian Ice Cap to learning the tough art of ultra-cycling.

It was during the pioneering Rivers of Ice expedition on one of the world’s largest icecaps, the Southern Patagonian Ice Cap, that Katie-Jane's tent was ripped to shreds in a terrifying storm and the team spent 5 nights in a makeshift shelter slowly making their way down a glacier in horrendous conditions to finally reach safety.

In 2015, Katie-Jane competed in the TransContinental Race.  This is a tough, unsupported Trans-European bicycle race with few women competitors and the route is at least 2,500 miles long from Flanders to Istanbul.  Competitors choose their route (via checkpoints) and inevitably travel through some of Europe's most iconic locations.  Resilience, courage and endurance are key with long days and serious climbs inevitable. 

Some newspaper features have have noted that Katie-Jane achieved early success at sport winning the Individual National Schools Eventing Championships at 17 years and in 1997, she was runner up to Zara Philips at the National Championships.  But as Katie-Jane puts it: 'No one would have thought during my youth, that I would get a kick out of pushing myself to my absolute limit, both physically and mentally, but it transpires that I do.'  Although Katie-Jane would say she was 'not a natural athlete' (and more at home on the sofa watching Strictly), Katie-Jane realised through adventure that she was capable of so much more than she thought.  

Katie’s story is delivered with good-natured humour and candid honesty; audiences enjoy hearing about her transformation from glamorous model to endurance athlete and adventurer and entrepreneur.

Testimonials

‘We thought that Katie was lovely and that her talk was fascinating, especially hearing about the many challenging situations that she had to overcome. I was very grateful that she joined us afterwards to continue to answer questions in the less formal setting of the hotel bar too!’
HSBC Insurance

 

‘What can we say.  Katie-Jane was an absolute inspiration and made our final Women in Business Lunch this year the best yet.  Her strength of character and courage knows no bounds and the whole audience was speechless with many tears at the end of her fascinating insight into model turned adventurer. Highly recommended and absolutely fascinating.’
Unique: Women in Business

 

‘Her presentation and story was inspirational, uplifting and captivating. Everyone on my table agreed and was full of praise for her motivational speech. Her humour and wit really captured the audience and made it possible to relate to Katie’s situation even though we were all in awe of what she has achieved.’
We are Slater

 

‘I just wanted to say how truly inspirational Katie’s presentation was - absolutely fantastic.    ‘                      
Advance Performance

 

‘What an amazing story!  Katie's journey from model to adventurer shows that the only barrier to fulfilling our dreams are inside our own minds, or perhaps you just need to meet a Frenchman skiing uphill. Thank you again.’
Digital Explorer

 

‘Katie is an amazing person and a natural presenter, the delegates really warmed to her.  A truly excellent presentation, really inspirational and motivating, making people believe the impossible is possible.  We wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Katie and definitely would use her again.’
Lancaster Chamber of Commerce

 

‘Katie gave an excellent talk with some wonderful photographs. She must have tremendous courage. A most enjoyable night. (There were very few seats left in the lecture room: the busiest night we have had for a long time!)’
Royal Scottish Geographical Society

 

‘Engaging, inspirational and humbling. Katie's story portrays the life and journeys of unique and driven individuals, testing their bodies and mental strength in some of the most hostile environments known to mankind. Whilst many of us can only marvel at the physical achievements undertaken, the real message is in the focused approach to tasks that can be accomplished and only excuses will prevent you from achieving.’
Bournemouth University

In the Press

Katie-Jane's story has featured worldwide and on BBC and ITV news, UK national newspapers such as The Telegraph and Sunday Times and magazines such as Bella and Hello!  Katie-Jane was interviewed for EasyJet's inflight magazine in 2016 for a feature 'The Secret Life of Adventurers'.

Katie-Jane's epic trek along the Great Wall became an award-winning documentary The Great Walk of China (2009). Katie-Jane's trek took her through rural China and remote, dramatic and inhospitable landscapes. En-route, the team had to face extremes of temperature and terrain: from the heat of the Gobi desert to -35 Celsius in remote mountain ranges.