Adventure-tested strategies for performing under pressure, recovering from setbacks and finding a way to move forward when stopping isn't an option.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER | AUTHOR
LEADERSHIP TRAINER

Down-to-earth advice and added storytelling flair. If you're looking for a speaker for your next event, you've found her.

— Kim Willis, The Heroine's Journey Speaker Series

Over the past decade Laura has taken on a series of self-powered endurance adventures. These include cycling 3,700 miles solo from Scotland to Norway through eight countries, solo cycling the world's longest coastal route in Ireland, and completing an extreme triathlon across the Channel Islands by swimming around Sark, kayaking Guernsey and cycling Jersey. She has also run 100 miles across Fuerteventura in four days and solo kayaked a stretch of Russia's Volga River.

Like most meaningful projects, these journeys have not always gone to plan. There have been wrong turns, tired legs, misjudgements and moments where the original strategy no longer works.

These experiences offer a powerful way of understanding how people actually behave when pressure rises, self-doubt creeps in and the path forward is unclear. Moments like these are just as familiar in everyday working life as they are on a long road or in open water.

Laura brings these insights into organisations that want their people to recover from setbacks and stay effective under pressure. She has spoken at international festivals, conferences, schools, after-dinner engagements and corporate events across multiple industries.

Her talks are energetic, honest and practical. They blend engaging storytelling and humour with practical, evidence-based tools, not vague positivity.

Alongside this, she also delivers leadership development programmes for teams and leaders, bringing hands-on experience of what makes teams perform under pressure.

“Listening to Laura Kennington speak is good for your soul”

— Rima Patel, Yes Stories: A Night of Inspiration

People and teams lose their footing at three predictable moments: before they start, when the plan falls apart, and deep into a long slog. Laura has a talk for each one.

At their core, Laura's talks are about mindset: how people build confidence, cope with pressure and adapt when the unexpected happens.

SAMPLE TALK TOPICS

SIGNATURE KEYNOTE
THE KAIROS PRINCIPLE: The Myth of Perfect Timing

Helps teams stop waiting for permission to start.

Useful when facing: Decision paralysis, analysis paralysis, teams waiting to feel "ready", delayed launches, strategic initiatives stuck in planning

Most people don't fail because they aimed too high, they fail because they never let themselves aim at all.

The decision always comes first. The skills follow. Laura wasn't a kayaker when she decided to paddle solo through Russia. She wasn't an endurance swimmer when she committed to swimming around Sark. She wasn't a writer when she started her book. The credentials came later.

This talk is about the goals we quietly dismiss as "not for people like me." It's about imposter syndrome, the stories we tell ourselves about who's allowed to do what and why backing yourself is a skill you can build.

At the heart of this talk is the ancient Greek concept of kairos - the opportune moment. Laura challenges the assumption that people need to wait for perfect conditions before taking action

Key Takeaways:

• Silencing self-doubt and overthinking

• Building confidence through action

• Setting goals that stretch you (and actually achieving them)

THE NEXT MILE: Building Resilience That Lasts

Helps teams keep going when progress stalls.

Useful when facing: Burnout on long projects, maintaining quality under sustained pressure, team exhaustion, low morale during extended challenges

Resilience is about showing up day after day when progress feels invisible.Drawing on endurance challenges like her 3,700-mile solo cycle from Scotland to Norway, and lessons from working with teams under pressure, Laura explores what it takes to keep going when things get hard.

This talk is about sustaining momentum when goals feel impossibly far away - how to maintain performance during extended periods of stress and develop mental toughness that carries over from adventure into everyday life.

Key Takeaways:

• Maintaining team morale and performance during prolonged stress

• Mental toughness techniques from endurance sports

• Recovery strategies for sustained resilience

NAVIGATE THE UNKNOWN: Thriving Through Change

Helps teams adapt when the plan falls apart.

Useful when facing: Organisational change, market disruption, strategic pivots, crisis management, rapid adaptation

How do you respond when everything changes at once?

No endurance challenge goes to plan. Conditions shift, equipment fails, the route changes and the strategy that made sense at the start no longer holds. When Laura's solo kayak descent of Russia's Volga River suddenly went viral, the expedition she'd trained for had to end for reasons entirely outside her control. The question is never whether things will go wrong - it's how quickly and effectively you respond when they do.

This talk focuses on adapting when plans fall apart and making progress when the path isn't clear. Drawing from multi-week solo adventures where conditions constantly shifted, Laura shows how flexibility, grit and decisive action matter more than perfect planning. She equips teams to reframe setbacks as learning opportunities and cultivate the adaptability needed to thrive in uncertainty.

Key Takeaways:

• Managing stress during periods of uncertainty

• Adapting and pivoting when plans change

• Reframing setbacks into forward momentum

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“Laura is an exciting, inspirational and informative speaker. We’ve had Laura speak at two of our events now (The National Outdoor Expo and The National Cycling Show), and in both instances, working with Laura has been a great experience.

Hearing Laura speak about her adventures is incredibly engaging, and she does a fantastic job of translating her experiences into lessons for the audience to apply.

We’re looking forward to seeing what Laura will take on next!”

— Alex Hayman, Raccoon Media Group

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WHAT CLIENTS SAY

“We loved Laura coming in and speaking to all of us. The group definitely enjoyed speaking to Laura on a 1-1 basis after the session, too”

— Cathrine Wilson, Co-Star Group

“You were the best guest speaker we’ve had! Your talk was very inspiring and engaged so many people. I had many members of staff come up to me to say how interesting your story was.”

— Emma Belsey, Communication & Events Organiser, The Folkestone Academy

“Laura is an inspirational and accomplished speaker. She has undertaken some amazing adventures and provides practical insights and knowledgeable advice on her achievements to date, in a highly personable and engaging way.”

— Cameron Hall, Founder and Director of Holmlands

“If you want your pupils to really understand what embracing life’s opportunities is all about get Laura to come and talk to your school. The stories of her adventures were both fun and inspiring and I challenge anyone who hears her speak not to be motivated to undertake some kind of challenge as a result – no matter how small.”

— Toby Batchelor, Teacher, Cranleigh Prep School

“Laura’s engaging and intriguing story of her adventures was brilliant. It elicited some great questions around storytelling and her approach to overcoming adversity. It was a pleasure to have her speak.”

— Fiona Quinn, Storytelling for Startups

Presenting Gold Duke of Edinburgh awards with HRH The Duke of Wessex at St James’s Palace, London

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“She was engaging, motivating and clearly very passionate. Excellent speaker with interesting stories”

“She was very interesting and answered everyone’s questions in a funny and insightful way. Very inspiring.”

“It was fantastic to listen to Laura Kennington; I have previously heard about her but it was fantastic to listen to her experiences and how she overcame challenges.

“Laura was very motivational and an excellent speaker. She answered the questions well and was very engaging.”

— Various, DofE Gold Awards Ceremony at St James Palace

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“Laura was the guest speaker at our annual Awards ceremony. Her words were really inspiring, in challenging our students to not settle for the conventional, and encouraging them to forge their own path. She even received a hug from one of our parents who was equally moved! ”

— Mr Warren Smith, Head Teacher at The Folkestone Academy

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“Laura did our keynote speech at our annual EMPOWER awards for our most academic students, many of whom need to be encouraged out of their comfort zone now and again and also need to see that there is a world beyond study and that success isn’t just about grades. Laura’s speech was incredibly engaging, she has a very down to earth natural manner which meant she connected with the audience immediately. I could see that the students were gripped and in awe. Laura used personal anecdotes, photos and video to illustrate her wider message about resilience and self belief. It was perfect for our students and inspired the staff too!”

— Laura Grainger, Fulham Cross Girls School

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“Our Year 12 students really enjoyed hearing about Laura’s challenges, and how life lessons learnt through these can be applied to their own lives. The idea that anything is possible - if you put your mind to it! The overall message of enjoy life, get out there and be happy was really powerful - we look forward to seeing her again next year.”

— Rosie Moore, Teacher, Parkstone Grammar School

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“Laura’s main message to us was to always persevere when times become tough. She encouraged us to fight for what we believed in... Overall, the speech was very inspiring and made us realise that you can do anything you set your mind to”

— Lingfield Notre Dame School

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“Laura is a great speaker who inspired our audience of young people and parents. Her engaging personality, humour and stories of determination and strength was an inspiration. I hope we will be able to use Laura again.”

— Greg Stewart, District Commissioner Bishops Stortford Scouts