Meet Katie-Jane

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.

 

How to book Katie-Jane L'Herpiniere

Katie-Jane is based in the French Alps but regularly visits the UK.  Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to check Katie-Jane's availability and to discuss how she could create a memorable presentation at your next event.