Elise Downing

In 2016, Elise became the first woman and youngest person to run self-supported around the coast of Britain. Aged just 24, she ran 5,000 miles over the course of ten months, covering up to 40 miles per day and carrying her kit on her back.

It’s almost impossible to overstate just how unprepared Elise was for this journey. With zero ultra running experience, unable to read a map and having never done any solo adventuring before, she was completely unqualified to embark on such a challenge. But what she discovered was that all she really needed to know was how to take the first step. The rest she could figure out as she went, with the help of the hundreds of strangers she met along the way.

Elise’s best-selling book, Coasting, was published in 2021 and named by The Times as one of The Best Sports Books of the year. Her highly relatable account of her adventure aims to show that you don’t have to be the best or most talented person to succeed – you just have to be the one who dares to have a go. In her talks, Elise tells her story with the same humour and honesty, using tales from her adventure to inspire your audience to face their own challenges.