World record adventurer, conservationist, and the first woman to skydive Everest — founder of How Many Elephants, which has raised over £300,000 to protect African elephants.
Holly Budge holds two world records: she was the first woman to skydive Mount Everest, and she raced semi-wild horses 1,000 kilometres across Mongolia in just nine days. She has also summited Everest, led an expedition on the technical Himalayan peak Ama Dablam, and made a first ascent in the Altai Mountains. These are not the achievements of a professional athlete — Holly came to adventure through a combination of conviction, creativity, and a refusal to accept the limits she was offered.
Alongside her record-breaking, Holly is an acclaimed artist and the founder of How Many Elephants — an award-winning charity that raises awareness of the ivory trade and the plight of African elephants. The charity has raised more than £300,000 for conservation initiatives. The connection between extreme adventure and conservation is not coincidental — Holly sees both as expressions of the same value: that the extraordinary is worth protecting, and that protecting it requires people willing to act.
Holly speaks to motivation, resilience, sustainability and leadership audiences with a combination of visual storytelling, genuine humour, and hard-won insight. Her stories are not simply about physical achievement — they are about making decisions, managing fear, pushing through uncertainty, and finding the courage to act on what matters. For conferences seeking a speaker who is both genuinely extraordinary and utterly grounded, Holly Budge is a rare find.
Holly Budge is a keynote speaker based overseas who speaks on motivation, resilience and sustainability & ESG. Book through Executive Speakers Australia.
In this motivational experience, Holly's honest and engaging style of storytelling, combined with her down-to-earth approach to life, will drive you to feel inspired, rejuvenated and ready to scale your Everest. Holly will demonstrate how taking purposeful, actionable steps will propel you to reach big goals in your life and work.
From falling out of a plane over Everest to ambushing wildlife poachers on the front line, Holly is no stranger to taking action. She demonstrates the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and backing yourself to make good decisions, especially in times of adversity. Through real life examples, Holly shows us why we should never underestimate the sheer power of the human mind and body. We can do so much more and go so much further than we think we can.
Key Takeouts
• Believe in the power of YOU to effect positive change
• Take that first step to climb your Everest
• Learn how to say ‘yes’
• See how overwhelming challenges can become manageable and achievable tasks
• Identify with ‘real’ role models, surround yourself with passionate and purpose-driven people
Passion is the golden key to success and fulfilment. It’s contagious and has the power to make change in this world.
Life can teach us to limit our self-belief. We need to THINK BIG, DREAM BIGGER and surround ourselves with like-minded others.
Dance to the beat of your own drum. We are in control of our mindsets. This is one of the only things we truly do have control of.
On a mountain, good decision making could be the difference between life and death. It is important to back yourself to make good solid decisions in the outdoors and in life.
There is power and magic in turning your ambitions into destinations, starting with learning how to break down big ideas into bite-sized, manageable chunks and act on them.
To push your limits you first have to test your limits. It is truly exhilarating to push yourself harder than ever before and discover you have more stamina, determination, and resilience than you ever would have thought.
Committing to something can be the hardest step. Take the leap.
You will truly be amazed at what you CAN achieve when you think big.
Holly is down to earth, funny and incredibly inspiring.HRH Prince Edward
One of the UK’s most accomplished female adventurers.British Airways
Holly pushes boundaries – and then some.Red Bull
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