Alan Hobson

At the age of 29, author, speaker and adventurer Alan Hobson set out to realize his greatest childhood dream. It took him ten gruelling expeditions to high altitude, three to Mt. Everest, and a decade of intense fundraising, training and organizational effort before he finally stood on top of the world. As he gazed out from the highest physical point on the planet, tears froze to his face. He could see the curvature of the Earth as the horizon bent in his peripheral vision at 29,035 feet.

Incredibly, an even greater challenge lay ahead. Three years after stepping down from the summit of Everest, Alan came face-to-face with "The Everest of Illnesses" when he was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer of the blood and given less than a year to live. Using the hard-won lessons he learned through his many adventures worldwide, he chose to ignore solid medical evidence that there was an 85 per cent chance he would die, and thanks to raw courage and the miracles of modern medicine, he not only survived but thrived. He is now one of less than a dozen people to achieve an elite level of fitness after a blood cell transplant for acute leukemia and is considered officially medically cured.

Alan's next expedition is the one he is currently on – to continue his miraculous climb back from cancer and help as many others as possible do the same. He has co-authored a landmark new book, Climb Back from Cancer – Introducing The 10 Tools of Triumph for Survivors and Caregivers. It chronicles the uplifting true story of his journey to and from the edge of life and death. It also pinpoints The 10 Tools of Triumph™ for survivors and caregivers -- the key psychological skills needed to survive life-threatening illness and thrive beyond it. The book is the first in the proposed Climb Back from Cancer™ Collection.

The story of Alan's life is a breathtaking portrait in passion, persistence and peak performance spanning four decades. He is not only an Everest climber, summiteer and cancer survivor, but an international bestselling author and inspirational figure who has appeared on many national television talk shows, including Oprah. His expeditions have required millions of dollars to finance, organize and execute, and they have stretched Alan's leadership, team-building, sales and communications skills even more than they have his physical self. Yet he has proven his ability to transform the apparently intangible benefits of high-stakes adventure into tangible results for his sponsors' and suppliers' bottom lines.

• 5. Overcome Unexpected Obstacles

  Three years after Everest, Alan faced his biggest mountain. Diagnosed with acute leukemia (an aggressive cancer of the blood) and given less than a year to live, once again, he never gave up. Today, he is one of less than a dozen people to achieve an elite level of fitness after a blood cell transplant to eradicate the disease and he is officially medically cured. In today's environment of uncertainty, Alan's messages are more important than ever. He offers practical steps for managing the unexpected, as well as those challenges we can more easily predict, and his hard-won wisdom has real world relevance, applicability and power.

• 4. Executing with Excellence

  After almost two decades of preparation, an experienced Alan Hobson finally reached the summit of Mt. Everest during his third expedition. It was a true triumph of tenacity. Alan shows audiences that, even when times are hard, if we remain focused on executional excellence and continuous improvement, we can achieve our goals. His powerful personal example resonates on an individual and organizational level.

• 3. Adapt to the Unexpected

  Hobson's second Everest attempt missed the summit by just two city blocks when the expedition's lead climber came down with life-threatening high altitude sickness. Alan's team worked for 33 continuous hours and saved the man's life, but it meant postponing their goal. Discouraged, but not defeated, he walked away again with another set of precious lessons and started over with renewed determination. With today's tough choices and competing priorities, instant adaptability is crucial to success. Alan shows audiences how to rise to the challenge of change and effectively re-prioritize without losing sight of their goals.

• 2. Bouncing Back from Setbacks

  After more than a decade of preparation, Alan Hobson's first expedition to Mt. Everest missed the summit by 3,000 feet when his team's high camp was blasted off the mountain by hurricane-force winds. Instead of giving up on his goal, he used his hard-won lessons to begin again more intelligently. Alan inspires audiences to learn from setbacks and come away with smarter solutions for achieving their objectives.

• 1. The Triumph of Tenacity

  Get ready for the climb of your life! Keynote speaker Alan Hobson is going to take you to the edge and back. The Mt. Everest Climber, Summiteer & Cancer Survivor tells the riveting true tale of his three expeditions to the world's tallest peak and his climb back from a mountainous medical challenge that dwarfed even Everest. In his spellbinding custom-built presentations, he makes invaluable connections between the challenges he has faced and the obstacles we all face in our personal and professional lives. Considered the best adventure speaker in the world, he custom-builds every presentation to a degree unequalled by any other presenter. Alan will renew your energy, rekindle your resolve and inspire you to greater heights.

• Your message of dedication, perseverance and mental toughness was right on target for our employees and the way you customized the presentation made it even more meaningful. Everyone in the room was astounded with the amount of insight and knowledge you possessed about our business and their roles.
  Merrill Lynch
• You are an absolute perfectionist and you commit to a speaking presentation the way you commit to an adventure. You do your homework, prepare thoroughly and execute passionately. In short, you reflect professionally what you have done personally.
  TransAmerica
• Wow! -- that is my word to describe your presentation. You were absolutely amazing and the entire group loved you. Our SVP is still raving about how you so naturally applied your journey to our group's professional journey.
  The Walt Disney Company
• Your message and insight were key to the meeting. The way you weaved in the information about our products and the work we do was very impressive.
  Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
• Your presentation was outstanding and the feedback we received from our leaders was overwhelming. Your ability to link our challenges and organizational priorities to your story was most impressive and had a tremendous impact on our leadership team. It truly was a home run.
  Memorial Hermann Healthcare System

• 
  October 2004

  Climb Back from Cancer: A Survivor and Caregiver's Inspirational Journey

  The first book in the proposed Climb Back from Cancer Collection, this is both a gripping true adventure story and a touching love story. At the age of 42, international bestselling author and Mt. Everest climber and summiteer, Alan Hobson, believed scaling the world's tallest peak would be the biggest challenge he would face in his life. Over a decade, he had endured three grueling expeditions to Everest before finally standing on top on his third attempt. Then he had turned his ambition to becoming the best adventure speaker in the world. But three years after Everest, he came face to face with an even bigger mountain: he was diagnosed with acute leaukemia, a cancer of the blood, and given less than a year to live. With the help of his fiancee, Cecilia, he not only survived, but thrived, and the couple emerged all the stronger from their shared trial.

  
  
• 
  September 1999

  From Everest to Enlightenment

  This is a book about hope, strength and courage – the stuff that is within you, the stuff that can continue to help you in your own life climb. Alan tells the story of his triumph at the top of the world and what it took from the depths of his soul. It took him everything it is going to take you to continue to climb your own mountains in life. After two previous expeditions that “failed” and a lifetime of preparation, he finally makes it. But what he discovers along the way is not what you expect.

  
  
• 
  January 1999

  The Triumph of Tenacity

  Join worldwide adventurers, professional speakers and bestselling authors, Alan Hobson and Jamie Clarke, as they struggle through the rigors of financing, organizing, training for and participating in two grueling expeditions to Mount Everest. Along the way, they face life and death and a test of their friendship as daunting as Everest herself. The result is priceless lessons we can all apply on our own everyday Everests.

  
  
• 
  June 1993

  One Step Beyond

  One Step Beyond is five thrilling adventure stories of these five remarkable people and their achievements in the extreme. It is also a fascinating exploration into the psychology of success and the potential we all possess to turn our own dreams into reality.