Ade Adepitan, MBE
After being struck with polio as a youngster, Ade went on to compete on an international level. Known as ‘The Michael Jordan of wheelchair basketball,’ he represented Great Britain at the European and World Championships and the Sydney Olympics, and won bronze in Athens. 
Ade has since established a successful media career, presenting a range of sport, entertainment and factual programmes and ranging from children's television to travel shows to hard-hitting documentaries. One of his first TV projects saw him take part in the documentary series Beyond Boundaries, in which he trekked through rainforests, deserts, rivers and mountains in Nicaragua. In one episode he pulled himself to the summit of a 5000ft volcano - without his wheelchair. Ade has gone on to work as a presenter, reporter and film maker for the BBC and Channel4, in particular their Unreported World series where he's investigated everything from the benefits system to doping in sport. In his BBC series Africa with Ade Adepitan he explored the changing nature of the continent. He's been a key part of Channel 4's pioneering Paralympics coverage, a reporter on The One Show, and is a regular guest on shows from The Last Leg to QI to celebrity editions of Pointless and The Chase.
Ade describes how a couple of physiotherapists spotted him in a supermarket and asked if he’d like to go to the Junior Wheelchair Games. Ade was so inspired by the players he met that the wheelchair ceased to be an obstacle to sport and became an exciting new opportuinty. He also talks about being motivated by his parents’ ambition in bringing him to England and opening up new possibilities.
It's the foundation to his attitude that barriers are usually there to be taken down.
Headline speaker sponsored by:
Some of our past keynote speakers include:
Simon Reeve, Roger Black MBE, Joe Simpson,
Ben Fogle, Tim Harford and Matthew Syed