Felicity Aston MBE

Book Felicity Aston MBE for your event

Felicity Aston MBE is a climate scientist, polar explorer and record-setting adventurer whose career has taken her into some of the most demanding environments on Earth. Her experiences provide a compelling foundation for keynotes about resilience, teamwork, leadership, preparation and exceptional performance under pressure.

In 2012, Felicity Aston became the first woman to ski across Antarctica alone. Spending 59 days travelling through the Antarctic landscape tested her physical endurance, mental resilience and ability to make decisions independently in an unforgiving environment. The expedition gave her first-hand experience of managing risk, maintaining performance over long periods and remaining focused when there is little room for error.

Felicity brings these experiences to audiences in an engaging and accessible way. Rather than presenting exploration simply as a story of adventure, she draws out practical lessons that can be applied to organisations, teams and individuals facing uncertainty, change and demanding goals.

Resilience in extreme environments

Working and travelling in polar regions requires preparation, discipline and the ability to adapt quickly. Conditions can change without warning, plans must continually be reassessed and even small decisions can carry significant consequences.

Felicity's solo crossing of Antarctica gave her a unique understanding of what it takes to keep moving when motivation, energy and confidence are tested. Her experience demonstrates how preparation and training create the foundation for resilience, while flexibility and self-awareness make it possible to respond effectively when reality differs from the original plan.

These lessons extend far beyond exploration. In her keynotes, Felicity examines how people can remain effective during demanding periods, approach uncertainty constructively and develop the confidence required to continue making decisions under pressure.

Building teams that adapt

Alongside her solo achievements, Felicity Aston has led groundbreaking teams of women on expeditions through some of the world's toughest environments. She led the first team of women across Greenland's ice sheet and also led a highly diverse group of women to the South Pole.

Her expeditions have repeatedly brought together individuals with different backgrounds, experiences and capabilities. Several participants had little or no previous experience of cold-weather expeditions before joining the teams. Through preparation, shared responsibility and a clear common objective, these groups learned how to operate effectively in environments that were completely unfamiliar to many of them.

Felicity also encouraged and supported ten women in an expedition spanning the Middle East and Europe. In 2018, the group travelled across frozen ocean sea ice, adapting to demanding conditions and learning how to function as an effective team despite different levels of expedition experience.

Through these stories, Felicity explores themes including:

• Creating trust within diverse teams
• Building confidence when people enter unfamiliar situations
• Communicating clearly under pressure
• Managing individual strengths within a shared mission
• Adapting when plans and circumstances change

Her experiences offer audiences a vivid perspective on what collaboration looks like when teamwork becomes essential rather than optional.

Climate science and exploration

Felicity Aston combines exploration with a professional background in climate science. Her work in polar environments has given her direct experience of regions that play an important role in understanding the Earth's changing climate.

In 2022, Felicity led a North Pole expedition designed to gather important scientific research about sea ice. The project combined the demands of polar travel with scientific observation, demonstrating how exploration can contribute to a deeper understanding of remote natural environments.

Felicity uses her public platform to encourage greater awareness of climate science and the polar regions. Her books about exploration help make the Arctic and other remote environments accessible to wider audiences while explaining their significance in discussions about the planet's changing climate.

Inspiring confidence through exploration

A consistent theme throughout Felicity Aston's career is her belief in the transformative potential of exploration. She has encouraged people to experience environments far outside their everyday lives and has seen how challenging journeys can strengthen confidence, resilience and personal capability.

Participants in her expeditions have had to learn quickly, deal with discomfort and uncertainty, and contribute to teams operating in demanding conditions. These experiences have shown how people can develop when expectations are stretched and familiar routines disappear.

Felicity's keynote presentations bring these lessons into the workplace. Through vivid stories from Antarctica, Greenland, the Arctic and other challenging regions, she explores how people respond when circumstances become difficult and how individuals can build the mental tools needed to keep performing.

Felicity Aston MBE keynote speaker

Felicity Aston's remarkable career has attracted attention from international media, including Vanity Fair and Marie Claire. Her combination of scientific expertise, record-setting exploration and leadership experience gives her a distinctive perspective on human performance.

Audiences hear extraordinary stories of isolation, endurance, teamwork and discovery, alongside practical insights that can be translated into everyday professional challenges. Felicity speaks about preparing for uncertainty, managing risk, strengthening teams and maintaining confidence when facing situations that seem overwhelming.

Book Felicity Aston MBE for your event to give your audience an inspiring perspective on resilience, collaboration, exploration and the capabilities people can discover when they move beyond familiar limits.