Rob Lilwall (born 1976) is a British-born adventurer, author and motivational keynote speaker. He currently lives in Singapore, and is one of the most popular and acclaimed professional speakers in Asia.
Lilwall went to school in London and Shropshire (Shrewsbury School) and then studied geography for 4 years at Edinburgh University. After completing his PGCE at Oxford University, he taught geography for two years at Larkmead School in Abingdon, before quitting his job, and setting off on his Cycling Home From Siberia expedition
Lilwall's life changing expedition began in 2004 when he flew to the north-eastern Siberian city of Magadan with his bicycle Alanis (named after singer–songwriter Alanis Morissette) and setting off to ride back home. [1] The journey of over 30,000 miles (50,000 kilometres) through 28 countries eventually took him over three years (2004–2007) and took him on detours through Papua New Guinea, Australia, Tibet, Afghanistan and Iran. To cross the sea between landmasses and islands, Lilwall always caught ferries, or hitch-hiked on yachts, cargo ships and dive boats. During the journey was robbed twice, caught malaria, camped at minus forty and was twice knocked off by motor vehicles. He also became the first person to take a bicycle over the Kokoda Trail.
His first book "Cycling Home From Siberia" was published in August 2009 by Hodder & Stoughton, to excellent reviews from the British press. [2] The book was also published as a North American edition by Howard Books (Simon & Schuster), and translated into Korean, Italian and Danish. A television series about the journey, using Lilwall's original camcorder footage, was made by National Geographic in 2009. [3] The series consists of six 24 minute episodes. It was broadcast in Australia on the Nat Geo Adventure Channel starting Sunday, 7 December 2009. The DVD and download of the series is available directly from Lilwall. [4]
In 2009, Lilwall married Christine Liu, who he had met whilst cycling home from Siberia. They moved back to Christine's native Hong Kong where they set up a Mobilisation Office for the children at risk charity Viva. Now in Asia, Rob began motivational speaking at conferences in the corporate world and planning new expeditions.
In 2011 Lilwall set off on a new expedition—this time calling it "Walking Home From Mongolia". After flying from Hong Kong to Mongolia, he set off on foot from the Gobi Desert town of Sainshand. He then walked for the following six and a half months, 3,500 miles back to Hong Kong. National Geographic commissioned a TV series about the journey (which was subsequently premiered on the Nat Geo Adventure Channel in December 2013), and so Lilwall also took a cameraman with him on the expedition, the young Northern Irish adventurer Leon McCarron. They endured temperatures down to minus thirty and severe physical hardship as they covered the huge distances with heavy packs. Lilwall wrote a weekly column for the South China Morning Post as he walked, [5] and was given an advance book deal from his previous publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, with publication of the new book in 2013 in the UK, and subsequently translated into German and Chinese. The DVD of the TV series is available from Lilwall.
Lilwall also wrote about the journey for NatGeo Traveller Magazine, and was interviewed by Time Out Magazine, the BBC World Service, BBC Breakfast Television. [6] [7] [8]
In 2015, Lilwall and his wife Christine rode a tandem bicycle from Los Angeles to New York, via Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the east coast. [9] [10]
In 2016, in perhaps his most ambitious expedition to date, Lilwall embarked on a 71-day solo attempt to walk across China's Taklamakan Desert. He was inspired by Major Charles Blackmore's crossing in the late 1990s, but rather than going with a team of camels and people, Lilwall attempted the journey across 1,000 km of sand dunes by hauling a home made beach cart called Odysseus, full of his supplies.
After many adventures and setbacks, Lilwall completed the journey in October 2016, and returned home just in time to be at the birth of his first child.
Whilst Lilwall did complete the crossing, he admitted he did not think it counted as a “first solo” crossing, as for one significant section he was forced to use the Southern Silk Road, traversing through the southern edge of the desert.
Lilwall wrote four articles for the South China Morning Post about the journey. [11] [12]
Lilwall has often supported the children's charity Viva, on his expeditions, raising over US$100,000 for the charity. He and his wife Christine set up and ran the Hong Kong office of Viva from 2010 to 2014, and Lilwall later joined the board of directors of Viva Network Limited Hong Kong for several years. [13]
Lilwall's serious adventures began in collaboration with his university friend, British Adventurer Alastair Humphreys. Lilwall and Humphreys remain good friends and were best men at each other's weddings.
Lilwall's other, shorter expeditions include:
Cycling across Ireland (1995) the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan (1997), Ethiopia (2002), Bolivia and Peru (2003).
Walking: through Israel, from the Golan Heights, to Masada, via the West Bank towns of Jinin and Nablus (2010), and a lap of the M25 (2010).
Lilwall's adventures in Siberia and elsewhere are also documented in several of Alastair Humphreys' books.
Lilwall is a committed Christian, and has a degree in contextual theology from St Mellitus College, London.
Lilwall is married to Christine Liu Lilwall, a former lawyer, who is from Hong Kong. They have two children and since late 2021 they have been based in Singapore.
Lilwall is currently writing a book about his solo expedition across the Taklamakan Desert, due for publication by Hodder & Stoughton in 2023. A film about the expedition is in production with Fforest Films, [14] due for release at film festivals in 2024.
Lilwall's primary work is now as a global corporate, keynote, motivational, and inspirational speaker. He has spoken at numerous high-level corporate conferences, including for Suntory Global Spirits , Nike, Adidas, HSBC, UBS, Goldman Sachs, Prudential, Manulife, the Million Dollar Round Table, Thomson Reuters, Hyatt, Marriott, Symantec and Microsoft. He has spoken at three TEDx events, [15] [16] [17] and is an in-demand speaker globally. Lilwall has given speeches in 20 countries, and in 2017 received the highest credential amongst Speaking Professionals, the Certified Professional Speaker status (CSP) from the National Speakers Association, USA. [18] Since the Covid-19 pandemic Lilwall has also frequently given virtual keynote speeches and workshops to clients all over the world.
Bicycle touring is the taking of self-contained cycling trips for pleasure, adventure or autonomy rather than sport, commuting or exercise. Bicycle touring can range from single-day trips to extended travels spanning weeks or months. Tours may be planned by the participant or organized by a tourism business, local club or organization, or a charity as a fund-raising venture.
Erik Weihenmayer is an American athlete, adventurer, author, activist and motivational speaker. He was the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on May 25, 2001. Due to this accomplishment he was featured on the cover of Time magazine. He completed the Seven Summits in September 2002, one of only 150 mountaineers at the time to do so, but the only climber to achieve this while blind. In 2008, he also added the Carstensz Pyramid thus completing the Eight Summits. Weihenmayer has also made noteworthy climbs up the Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite in 1996, and ascended Losar, a 2,700-foot (820 m) vertical ice face in the Himalayas in 2008.
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Raymond Zahab, is a Canadian long-distance runner and public speaker. He has run in long-distance running adventures in several countries, including the South Pole, Siberia, and the Atacama Desert in Chile. He crossed the Sahara with Charlie Engle, (USA) and Kevin Lin (Taiwan).
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Nat Geo People is an international pay television channel owned by National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (73%) and the National Geographic Society (27%). Targeted at female audiences, with programming focusing on people and cultures, the channel is available in 50 countries in both linear and non-linear formats.
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Omar Samra is a British-born Egyptian adventurer, entrepreneur and speaker. He is the first Egyptian to climb Mount Everest, the 7 Summits and ski to both the Geographic South and North Pole. He is also the first Egyptian to complete the 7 Summits challenge on 31 May 2013, climbing the highest mountain on all seven continents. Samra was the 31st is person in history to complete the "Explorers Grand Slam" challenge, which include climbing the highest mountain on every continent, the 7 summits, and skiing to both the South and North Poles. Samra has also been selected for the IIAS's PoSSUM program along with 2 other Egyptians, Abdelraouf El Waqad and Ahmed Farid
Robert Douglas "Rob" Gauntlett was an English adventurer, explorer and motivational speaker. In 2006 he became the youngest British climber to reach the summit of Everest.
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Mandip Singh Soin is a prominent Indian mountaineer, explorer, adventure travel expert, environmentalist, speaker and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He has spent over forty years in the field of adventure, having gone on expeditions to all the seven continents of the world. His mountaineering ascents and explorations include several Indian “firsts” like the first Indian ascent of Mount Meru in 1986 in the Himalayas as well as several first Indian ascents in the French and Swiss Alps, Italian Dolomites, Wales and Scotland. He is a strong advocate of responsible tourism and the Founder President of the Ecotourism Society of India.
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Ashley Philip Dykes is a Welsh adventurer and extreme athlete. He achieved two official world-first records, trekking across Mongolia and Madagascar, before the age of 25. In August 2019, he achieved his third official record, becoming the first person to walk along the full 4,000-mile (6,400-kilometre) course of the Yangtze, the longest river in Asia.
Paul Niel is an Austrian adventurer, explorer, and public speaker. He has organized and participated in more than 15 expeditions across all continents.
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