Jesse Dufton epitomizes achievement and bravery in the face of adversity. Born severely sight impaired and now blind he was advised as a child he may never be able to read or write. However, through his attitude, determination and ingenuity he has become an elite rock climber. He's best known for his ascent of The Old Man of Hoy, which is the focus of Alastair Lee’s multi award-winning documentary "Climbing Blind," for conquering previously unclimbed peaks in Arctic Greenland, and as a world class competition climber. He has also excelled in the academic and corporate spheres. He holds a doctorate in Materials Chemistry, is passionate about the environment and clean energy and holds a senior role in a global hydrogen fuel cell company enabling decarbonization throughout society.

Dufton’s talks allow him to share the mindset and mental tools which underpin his numerous achievements, from managing fear, overcoming obstacles through ingenuity and dealing with crisis in hostile environments. He deftly balances humor and harrowing anecdotes with keen insight into performance, diversity, teamwork and sustainability from a unique viewpoint. While he is too modest to admit it, his achievements and outlook in the face of his disability are hugely inspiring and the fact that he has achieved such success in both the sporting and corporate worlds allows him to understand and relate the key attributes which underpin success universally.

Blind, Blindness, Disability, Rock Climbing, Climbing, Overcoming Adversity, Sports