Adventurer & explorer who has cycled 106,000km across all seven continents, with four world firsts
Dr Kate Leeming OAM is one of Australia's most accomplished adventurers — a cyclist, explorer and humanitarian whose major expeditions have covered 106,000 kilometres, more than two and a half times the Earth's circumference. In 2023 she received a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to adventure sport and was awarded the Australian Geographic Society's Spirit of Adventure award. She has completed expeditions on all seven continents and achieved four world firsts, among them becoming the first person to cycle an unbroken line from Africa's most westerly to its most easterly point — 22,040 kilometres through twenty countries — and the first woman to cycle across Russia unsupported. In 2023 she completed a fatbike crossing of Queen Maud Land in Antarctica, and in August 2025 she finished a 9,000-kilometre journey through Central Asia from Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan.
What sets Kate apart is the dual mission at the heart of every expedition. Educational and humanitarian goals are always an equally important part of her projects — her Africa crossing was as much an odyssey highlighting the causes and effects of extreme poverty as it was a physical feat. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, a member of The Explorers Club in New York, an Honorary Advisor for the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award and a Scout Ambassador. She has published two books and produced award-winning films and television series shown around the world.
Kate speaks through the story of her journeys — about what keeps her going through the most difficult conditions, and how to move a DREAM from conception to completion. Her keynotes translate directly to leadership, resilience and high-performance contexts, and she brings practical frameworks on vision, planning, risk mitigation and maintaining a positive attitude under pressure. She is a compelling choice for conferences on leadership, sustainability, women in business, and any event where audiences need to rethink what they believe is possible.
Dr Kate Leeming OAM is a keynote speaker based in Victoria who speaks on leadership, mental health & wellbeing and motivation. Book through Executive Speakers Australia.
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