John Sullivan

Explorer, Survivalist, Inspirational Speaker

John Sullivan is a former Royal Marines Commando of nine years’ experience. He has  operated in some of the world’s most challenging environments – Jungle, Desert and Arctic. John’s passion in life is to explore with a sense of purpose. Working alone, this has taken him to some of the remotest corners of the world to research and set up factual programmes for the BBC and the National Geographic Channel. He has also led numerous life-changing conservation expeditions for young people to Namibia, Belize and Borneo. 

John has excelled in the realm of freelance consultancy. He has remarkable first-hand knowledge of many remote regions of the world. He develops unique networks of incountry contacts – often local tribes. John uses these to advise media groups and expedition leaders on how best to deal with the cultures and natural environments of the countries they plan to explore. John is in great demand from the top TV Companies. His aptitude to inhospitable conditions in remote areas uniquely qualifies him for TV ‘groundwork’ and preparation. The BBC hired him to make all in-country arrangements for ‘Last Man Standing’ and ‘Extreme Dreams’. For Channel 5, he executed a similar brief for the programme, ‘Unbreakables’. More recently, John prepared all the pre-shoot arrangements in Papua New Guinea for the National Geographic Channel’s documentary, ‘Eating with Cannibals’.  John loves nothing more than to pass on his passion for the natural world and for the peoples of the most remote regions of the planet. As an extreme survivalist, he is always looking for that next adventure 

John is a keen supporter of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme. He enjoys a close affinity with the sense of achievement that young people feel following their success. John feels immensely proud to be asked every year to attend award presentations at St James Palace. Along with His Royal Highness Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex, he presents the Gold Awards to the successful young people.  John also feels honoured to be a regular guest speaker at this event. He gives a rousing speech, congratulating the young people on their amazing achievements. They, in turn, feel a similar sense of privilege; not only are they rewarded for their efforts by meeting members of the Royal Family, but they also get to know John Sullivan, a man whose own achievements so often mirror their own.

John is a master story-teller. He takes his audience on a journey of adventure, suspense and discovery.   His delivery invites his audience to reflect on and evaluate their own professional and personal experiences. He helps us not to fear change or adversity, to learn that they are a part of life – that being a victim is a matter of choice.  John brings to his talks a wonderful sense of humour and imaginative use of video. Invariably, he concludes his presentation with a stunning twist, taking his audience completely by surprise, bringing them to their feet with rousing laughter and applause.

“Culturally sensitive, technically skilled, and with first-hand evidence of the challenges remote communities now face, John is a Boys’ Own adventurer for the 21st Century. “  Anthropologist and Broadcaster.

“Your talk was really nicely pitched, with great pace and just the right amount of detail, suspense and laughs, delivered with some really interesting messages and stories too. And the rat – I loved this and so did the audience. Such a simple and yet powerful concept that everyone can make their own and take away. It was great.”  Sarah Outen MBE, first woman and the youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean and also the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Alaska.

“John Sullivan and his experiences were both entertaining and extremely interesting. Highly recommended; something you are likely not to see or hear again.”  Senior Lecturer, Division of Psychology, The University of Northampton

“An inspirational talk from a jungle explorer. The best that I have witnessed in over 30 years of teaching. “  Teacher, Brislington Enterprise College.

“John Sullivan is a former Royal Marine, adventurer and explorer from the UK. Through a lot of persistence and hard work, he followed his passion to explore the world and pursue adventure. John focused his talk on ‘Feeding the Rat’. Essentially the passion that lives inside of us needs to be fuelled whether that is sport, art, adventure, music and science. He shared the virtues that people need to do that e.g. self-belief, hard work, persistence. John is also a healthy risk taker in the challenges he undertakes, fitting in with the IB learner profile. ISH is hopefully certain that John’s motivational talk inspired students to do something extraordinary in their future.”  Head of year 10 International School of Hague. Holland.

John, with his ‘Feed the Rat’ theme and stories of exploration, adventure and overcoming challenge creates an impressively realistic picture of how a can-do approach to life can over come tremendous cultural and physical barriers to deliver results in the most austere of locations.  Highly recommended that’s full of energy, interest and one which serves to highlight what can be achieved when one applies positive energy and detailed planning’.  Founder of Expedition & Wilderness Medicine