Colonel Dame Kelly Holmes (MBE).
In 2018 and 2019 Kelly Holmes hosted The Orbis Challenge. Kelly took a massive leap of faith and jumped feet first into being our first headliner for Sport with a Purpose. In 2018 she ran Mulanje Mountain Porters Race, mountain biked on Zomba Plateau and kayaked 20km on Lake Malawi. She had such an amazing time that she returned with a team of 30 to take on the 2019 event running three half marathons in 7 days- including another crack at Mulanje Mountain! Kelly has left an incredible legacy in Malawi including raising ver £30,000 and gaining 50 friends for life who ran alongside her in the 2018 and 2019 events. See Kelly’s film here.
Mark Beaumont (BEM)
Having smashed the circumnavigation cycling World Record twice in his career, Mark’s epic documentaries have taken viewers to over 100 countries, into the Arctic, the length of Africa, the high mountains and around the Commonwealth, also surviving capsize in the mid-Atlantic and now he has teamed up with Orbis to organise the inaugural Orbis Cycle Challenge in 2020!
‘Malawi is right at the top of my bucket list…I am so excited to join the Orbis team in April 2020 for a cycle through southern Malawi and to create the legacy of a BMX track, which will help transform how the humble bicycle is seen.’
Susie Chan- Endurance Runner.
Susie’s love for the great outdoors, challenging landscapes and off the beaten track trails made her the most obvious choice to follow in Dame Kelly Holmes footsteps to headline The 2020 Orbis Trail Challenge.
Susie has four times finished the legendary Marathon des Sables, won the Adventure Category of the 2017 Coastal Challenge Costa Rica, survived five days’ self-sufficient running 250km through the Amazon jungle, run the Thames Path 100, become a Six Star Finisher at the World Marathon Majors, come 3rd placed female at the 2018 Self Transcendence 24-hour track race, completed numerous multi-stage ultra-marathons and broken the world record for the longest distance run on a treadmill in 12 hours.
Sarah Outen (MBE)
Sarah Outen is a record-breaking British adventurer, author, speaker and film maker. In 2009 she became the first woman and youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean from Australia to Mauritius at the age of 24, and at that time was the youngest woman to row solo across any ocean.
An advocate for openness around mental health and access to the outdoors, Sarah is proud patron of a number of youth, health and adventure charities. She lives in Oxfordshire with her wife Lucy and their three donkeys.
Having never been to the African continent before, Sarah is excited to be leading this hiking expedition - both for the adventure and challenge, but also to get an insight into life in Malawi.
Join Sarah for The 2020 Orbis Hiking Challenge
Lauren Steadman
3 Time Paralympian & Rio Silver Medallist, Double World Champion, Six Time European Champion…is excited to host The 2020 Orbis All Inclusive Challenge.
Elite Para – Triathlete Lauren is the current World & European Champion – a title which she has won 3 and 6 times respectively. Lauren was born missing her lower right arm, however this has challenged Lauren to be the best she can be, and she relishes the chance to overcome barriers.
Lauren has competed at two Paralympic Games as a swimmer. She has since specialised in Paratriathlon & represented Team GB in the sports inaugural entry to the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016, where she took home a silver medal. She has her sights set on Tokyo 2020 where she will be aiming for the gold!
Join Lauren for The 2020 All Inclusive Challenge
Ollie Phillips.
Ollie is a former professional rugby player.
He combined successful careers in both the 15-a-side game and also the Olympic version of the game, Rugby Sevens. Ollie captained England Sevens and was named 'World Player of the Year' in 2009 while also pursuing a professional career in 15s with four clubs in England and France, where he was voted 'Overseas Player of the Year' in 2011. Since retiring from rugby, Ollie has volunteered as a charity ambassador, raising in excess of £2.5 million to date.
Ollie currently works as a Director at PwC in London and in 2018 set up 'Optimist Performance', through which he works with companies and individuals by speaking and consulting in the core areas of: Teamwork, Leadership, Resilience and Change.
Ollie is also currently the holder of 5 Guinness World Records and is proof that anything is achievable with a little motivation, courage and leadership.
Join Ollie on The Orbis Rugby Challenge