Raising Aspirations

16 Aug Raising Aspirations

Posted at 11:00h in Blog by

“Leigh is such an inspirational man and the perfect role model” Huw Lloyd, Kingsmead School

Recently I visited The Kingsmead School where, according to Assistant Head Teacher, Huw Lloyd, “pupils often lack self confidence and self-belief”, to deliver a 30 minute talk about cycling around the world and highlight some of the difficulties I overcame on the way to my accomplishment. It was a great pleasure to deliver my stories and show my slides and adventure equipment to the students, who were given the opportunity to ask questions afterwards. As reported in the Derby Evening Telegraph, they “were given 20 minutes to ask Leigh about his feat but they were so moved by his achievement their Q and A session lasted two hours.”

I believe that demonstrating to students, that people in their own community, from the same background as them, can achieve great things is one of the greatest motivators I can offer. “He was just like one of them, and they were absolutely enthralled with his stories” commented Mr Lloyd, “[Leigh] told them they should always believe that anything is possible and to never think that they can’t do something”.

Since returning from my adventure, I have spoken for TEDx, at cycling festivals and have upcoming engagements for National Geographic and large corporate exhibitions, and yet speaking in schools is equally, if not more, inspiring. To see the eyes of students light up as they realise what opportunities are out there for them, and to see how the qualities I developed throughout my journey, can help them overcome their own problems is truly rewarding. Young people continue to surprise me with the quality of their questions and I never leave a school without seeing my journey from a different point of view.

Cycling around the world challenged me; keeping motivated, resilient and maintaining mental health were my obstacles and these are faced by many in everyday life. Since completing my adventure, I am honoured to take my stories of survival in to schools, using my experiences for students to draw inspiration from, helping young people to realise that they too can achieve great things and, in turn, raise their aspirations.

If you would like to book Leigh to speak at your school, company or event, visit the speaking engagements page on his official website. You can also keep up to date with his latest adventure and speaking news on Facebook and follow @leightimmis on Twitter and Instagram

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  • The TEDxRNCM audience were utterly captured through Leigh’s account. This wasn’t just an account however, but an experience. Eloquently delivered but with real personality, Leigh gave inspiration, insight, enjoyment and even humour - a talk I won’t be forgetting for a long time

    Hayley Parkes, TEDx Event Organiser

  • It’s was a real honour to partner with Leigh, he’s such an inspirational person and a great business speaker. The aim of the session was for delegates to leave in a positive, can do frame of mind, feeling confident that they can use some of Leigh’s tips to bolster team spirit, harness potential and exceed expectations. This is something I’m confident the event achieved

    Mary Maguire, MD, Astute Recruitment

  • When we invited Leigh to present to our staff about his experiences in creating a support echo system and team to help him break a world record, we never imagined that it would have had such a positive impact on everyone who attended. Leigh influenced, motived and inspired our staff to be the better version of themselves and gave them guidance and the tools to achieve this individually and within a team environment

    Steve Reynolds, CEO, TBS Mobility

  • Leigh is a natural communicator, using humour and his modest personality, Leigh's account of his fascinating experiences was delivered in a completely natural way that immediately connected with both the students and the teachers.

    Claire Tresidder, Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Ashbourne Academy

  • The young people of Kingsmead School are generally from disadvantaged backgrounds and have low aspirations for their future. Leigh held the attention of the young people superbly, he was entertaining and funny and the pupils engagement was not lost at all. I would heartily recommend Leigh and his inspirational story to anyone, it left pupils and staff inspired and awestruck.

    Huw Lloyd, Assistant Headteacher, Kingsmead School

  • Leigh delivered a fantastic presentation during our Global Health and Wellbeing day. We had a lot of positive feedback from his inspirational talk which definitely raised the profile of mental health within our organisation. Leigh is an inspiration to everyone

    David Wilson, Global Head of Health and Wellbeing, Victrex

  • Leigh articulates his passion and learning so well that his enthusiasm and motivation transcends the world of sport and is relevant for physical, psychological and organisational wellness and performance. He is a truly phenomenal speaker and comes highly recommended

    Deputy Chief Constable, East Midlands Special Operations Unit

  • Wow. Utterly, wow. Leigh certainly was inspirational and indeed such a breath of fresh air, he created such a buzz around the school. I was impressed by not only the attendance of staff and parents, but the volume of students who came along. Thank you – Leigh really has touched and motivated a lot of our students

    Roberta Keys, Deputy Headteacher, Malvern College

  • Leigh delivered one of the most professional and engaging talks at the festival this year. It was clear that Leigh had put a lot of thought into what he wanted to convey in his talk, carefully pulling out the key stories and themes from all his years on the road. Leigh's talk was engaging throughout and delivered with a real sense of humility.

    Laura Moss, Cycle Touring Festival Organiser


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