ASCENDING THROUGH ADVERSITY

Motivational Speaker in Adelaide, SA
Travels Nationwide
From $1,000 to $5,000
Available on Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

In his talk, Ascending Through Adversity, former Mount Everest guide Steve Bell shares the hard-earned lessons of a lifetime in the mountains. Through gripping stories of avalanches, killer storms, and near-fatal falls, he reveals how adversity shapes us, why change is inevitable, and how uncertainty can lead to unexpected opportunities. Entertaining, insightful, and ultimately inspiring, Steve’s presentation offers a powerful mindset to help us conquer our own mountains.

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Reviews

Nicole's School Function in Adelaide, Sep 2026

Steve gave a fabulous presentation for our R U OK? Day event. His story of climbing Mt Everest as a guide was incredibly engaging, and he skilfully wove his experiences into meaningful and practical messages for our Year 10-12 students and staff. His key takeaways around being open to new adventures, embracing uncertainty, and recognising that failing does not mean you are a failure really resonated with us all. Steve was an authentic and compelling speaker who connected wonderfully with our audience — we would highly recommend him!

Isobel's Corporate Event in Adelaide CBD, Dec 2025

Steve was excellent. He provided a compelling story that was exciting, rich and also very relatable. The group had nothing but positive words to say about him.

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Briony's Corporate Event in Adelaide, Jul 2025

We were incredibly fortunate to have Steve present to our department last week. Drawing on his extraordinary experiences as a mountaineer and expedition leader, Steve delivered a captivating and thought-provoking session that left a powerful impression on our team. Through vivid storytelling and striking imagery, Steve shared lessons learned from some of the world’s highest peaks – touching on leadership under pressure, resilience in the face of uncertainty, and the importance of teamwork and trust in high-stakes environments. His authenticity, humility, and dry humour made the session not only inspiring but also deeply relatable. Steve’s unique perspective brought a fresh lens to the challenges we face in our own work context. Many of us walked away feeling energised and reflective, with a renewed appreciation for calculated risk-taking, preparation, and staying grounded in moments of change. We highly recommend Steve as a speaker for any organisation looking to inspire their teams through a story of adventure, grit, and purpose.

Alyson's Corporate Event in TBA - somewhere within 3 hours from Adelaide, Jun 2024

Steve's presentation was extraordinary. As someone who has conquered Everest, his storytelling and insights not only captivated the audience but also sparked a flurry of questions and discussions immediately following his presentation and across our offices in the days following. There's no doubt that our staff left the day reflecting on the sentiments Steve shared. Climbing Everest is a monumental achievement, and Steve's firsthand account was both awe-inspiring and deeply impactful. Beyond the physical feat, he eloquently conveyed the profound lessons learned during his journey, leaving a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to hear him speak.

James's Corporate Event in Willunga, Aug 2023

Steve presented to our leadership team in McLaren Vale and his life story had us on the edge of our seats! Excellent life lessons that we can take into our personal and work lives. Highly recommended.

Rose's Event in Mildura, Jun 2023

Really enjoyed listening to Steve talk about his lessons in life which are relatable to everyone and loved how he tailored it to our cohort of participants. Our participant feedback was really positive, and they expressed a wish that he had spoken longer. He did a great job of capturing the participants attention with his story telling. Highly recommend.

Catriona's School Function in Glenunga, Aug 2022

There are simply no superlatives to describe how inspirational Steve is! Mountains and Metaphors was the 'five star' attraction at our recent Human Library event held at Glenunga International High School. The students and teachers alike were enthralled with his tales of epic adventures and took away valuable life lessons about teamwork and leadership. He left us all feeling like we could go beyond Base Camp and climb any Mt Everest of life! In today's tumultuous climate we definitely need more Steves in the world!

andrew's Lesson in Golden Grove, Jun 2021

Steve was able to really engage our students from year 6 -12 with his entertaining and inspiring stories. Left our students wanting more and would recommend him to anyone

More Info

First of all, please get in touch! The greatest ascents began as a conversation, so let’s talk. Ask for a quote and tell me what you need – type of audience, theme, date and duration - and I’ll reply without delay.

When you’re happy with my proposal, you can lock it in with a 20% deposit. Then we’re good to go! You will be invoiced for the balance on completion of the event.

Recent testimonials:

The feedback on your session has been nothing short of outstanding. Your contribution was a highlight of the program and we look forward to the opportunity to work with you again on future AEPMA projects.
Adelaide conference, 2025.

'Fantastic, inspiring presentation. I'm sure we'll be getting you back for more.'
SAPOL Police Academy 2023

'Great feedback after your presentation with lots of “Bloody hell that was amazing.” The format you put together was very engaging and some of the comments I've had back was that people felt they hadn’t pushed themselves through the risk barrier enough to achieve that next level.'
Local Government Authorised Persons Association, SA. 2022.

'Fantastic and inspirational and a valued learning experience.'
Australian Institute of Building Surveyors, SA Chapter Conference 2021.

'It was fantastic having you come and share your experiences with the boys. They are still talking about it and telling their teachers as well, so you definitely have left an impact on them. Thank you very much!'
St Peter's College, Adelaide 2021.

'We really enjoyed your presentation and it was the stimulus of much conversation later amongst adults and students alike.'
St Paul's College, Adelaide 2020.

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