Elise Downing

Whether it’s running an ultramarathon or striving towards an ambitious business goal, the first step is daring to believe that it might be possible. There are thousands of better runners than Elise out there – the only reason she managed to be the first woman to run around the coast of Britain is because she dreamed big enough to begin.

Using real-life examples, Elise will share practical tips for developing a growth mindset and believing in your own potential. After all, in the words of Capital Sensible, “if you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?”

There’s one key ingredient present in every successful completion of a goal: not giving up before the finish line. This is even more pertinent when working towards long-term targets.

With examples ranging from sticking with it through extreme running challenges (from multi-month adventures to gruelling mountain races) to sitting still long enough to write the 80,000 words required for a bestselling book, Elise’s stories will inspire the audience to persevere through their on challenges (even when they really want quit) and illustrate the rewards that can be reaped when you do.

We often talk about ‘conquering’ our fears and overcoming our doubts. But if we’re always waiting to be a better version of ourselves (more confident, fewer nerves, less afraid) before starting something, most of the time it will never end up happening.

By sharing her own experiences with humour and vulnerability, Elise will demonstrate how we can do amazing things despite our doubts, even using them to enhance performance.