Nigel Vardy has a fantastic story to share, having spent countless years of his life traversing some of the most hostile and challenging environments known to man. A passionate mountaineer and adventurer, Nigel is nicknamed ‘Mr Frostbite’, after he suffered terrible frostbite that led to the amputation of his fingertips, nose and toes. Not letting such adversity hold him back, Nigel has continued to race across glaciers, reach the summit of many of the world’s largest mountains and live in tropical jungles. A leading expert on decision-making under pressure, change management and survival, Nigel is now booked as a motivational speaker, to share exciting stories from his life as an adventurer.
Back in 1999, Nigel’s life changed forevermore. Overtaken by darkness and a severe storm at the high altitude of 20,000ft. whilst scaling Mt. McKinley in Alaska, Nigel suffered severe frostbite. Watching parts of his body die, Nigel was left with no choice but to have his fingers, toes and nose amputated. Despite this adversity, Nigel did not stop his impressive feats as an adventurer, and has since boiled, frozen, fallen, sunk and even been reported missing during his expeditions. From a successful career in engineering, to an uncertain world of disability, life-changing injuries and starting over, Nigel is now a frequently sought-after motivational speaker, booked time and time again to share how he put his life back together and continues to enjoy adventures despite physical challenges.
There are few challenging environments that Nigel has not conquered, and his adventures have taken him everywhere from Uganda and Greenland to Jordan and Russia. To share his experiences as an adventurer further, Nigel has published the bestselling books Once Bitten and 7×7 – Seven Peaks Seven Islands. He has also starred on Alive on Discovery Channel and C4 and has been a BecomingX film contributor, presented by Bear Grylls. Outside of mountaineering, Nigel is a passionate ambassador for companies including Terra Nova Equipment, Grangers, Buxton Mountain Rescue Team, Mountain Heritage Trust, The Martin Moran Foundation and the Kendal Mountain Festival.
Having learned lessons in resilience, the power of problem solving and decision-making, Nigel is now booked as a motivational speaker who translates his experiences as a mountaineer into a business context. A hit at conferences, after-dinner speeches and awards evenings across the country, Nigel customises his speeches to align with the requirements of the audience. Helping people to discover how humans can adapt to change, adopt the right mindset and learn from his disasters, Nigel is renowned for his skilful speeches on change, motivation and resilience. A seasoned speaker, Nigel has formerly spoken for the likes of the BBC, Eon, HSBC, Mount Cook Adventure Centre, BBC Radio 5 Live and Prospect, and has also delivered the TEDx talk titled Is Modern Communication Destroying Adventure? If you are looking for an inspirational adventurer to educate your audience on resilience, decision making and performing under pressure, don’t hesitate in booking Nigel Vardy today.