About Jamie McAnsh
I’m Jamie McAnsh. In 2014, I woke up paralysed from the waist down.
What followed was a journey through chronic pain, mental health struggles, rebuilding identity, and learning how to adapt when life changes completely overnight.
Today, I use that experience to help people and organisations rethink resilience, leadership, inclusion, and what’s truly possible.
Everything Changed Overnight
At 30 years old, my life changed in an instant.
After suddenly losing the ability to walk, I was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), one of the world’s most painful neurological conditions.
The life I knew disappeared overnight.
Simple things most people take for granted became daily challenges. Alongside the physical pain came the emotional impact — loss of identity, isolation, mental health struggles, and learning how to navigate a completely different future.
There were moments where giving up felt easier.
But somewhere within the struggle, I realised resilience isn’t about pretending everything is okay. It’s about finding a way to keep moving forward, even when life feels impossible.
“Learning how to get back up became a mindset, not a moment.”
Rebuilding Life One Step at a Time
Recovery was never straightforward.
There were setbacks, uncertainty, and moments where progress felt invisible. But slowly, step by step, I began rebuilding confidence, purpose, and belief in myself again.
What started as rehabilitation became something much bigger – a complete shift in perspective.
I stopped focusing on what I had lost and started focusing on what was still possible.
That mindset eventually led me towards challenges I never imagined I’d attempt.
Turning Adversity Into Adventure
From reaching Everest Base Camp on crutches to summiting Mt Kilimanjaro on custom-made KAFOs, the mountains have become symbolic of something far greater than adventure.
Every climb represented resilience.
Every summit represented proof that limitations do not define human potential.
Through Project Can’t, I now take on extreme challenges designed to challenge assumptions around disability, adversity, and what people are capable of overcoming.
Because the mountain is never just the mountain.
It’s everything you overcome to reach it.
Get Back Up is more than a phrase.
It’s the mindset that carried me through paralysis, recovery, mountains, setbacks, and rebuilding life when everything changed.
Why I Do This Work
My experiences completely changed the way I see people, leadership, resilience, and inclusion.
I know what it feels like to struggle silently.
I know what it feels like to lose confidence, identity, and direction.
And I know how powerful it can be when someone helps you believe in yourself again.
Today, through speaking, storytelling, advocacy, and leadership conversations, I help organisations and audiences rethink resilience, adaptability, inclusion, and human potential.
Not through theory.
Through lived experience.
Speaking With Purpose
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking to organisations, leadership teams, schools, charities, healthcare providers, and audiences across the UK and beyond.
My talks combine honest storytelling, humour, emotion, and practical lessons that leave a lasting impact long after the event ends.
Whether speaking about resilience, mental health, inclusion, leadership, or overcoming adversity, my goal is always the same:
To help people realise they are capable of more than they believe.
The Mission Continues
I believe resilience is built one step at a time. Every challenge faced, every setback overcome, and every mountain climbed has reinforced one simple truth: no matter how hard life gets, you can always Get Back Up. That belief now sits at the heart of everything I do, through speaking, storytelling, Project Can’t, advocacy, and helping others move forward when life feels uncertain. Because sometimes hearing someone else’s story is the first step in changing your own.
Let’s start the conversation.
Trusted By Leading Organisations
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NEO4J virtual talk on resilience and inclusion
NEO4J virtual talk on resilience and inclusion In May 2025, I had the privilege of delivering a NEO4J virtual talk on resilience and inclusion through Champions Speakers Agency. Speaking to one of the world’s most innovative tech companies, whose focus on graph databases and AI is transforming the way we understand connections, was both exciting…
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Sopra Steria Accessibility and Inclusion: A Guest Speaker’s Perspective
When I was invited to speak at Sopra Steria in June 2025, I knew the conversation would be about more than technology. It was about people, accessibility, and the courage to design a world where everyone belongs. The briefing call set the stage perfectly. We spoke about the reality that 96% of websites remain inaccessible…
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Five Years with The Motivational Speakers Agency
Building Impact with the UK’s Biggest Organisations For the past five years I’ve had the privilege of being represented by The Motivational Speakers Agency, one of the UK’s leading platforms for keynote speakers. It’s been a partnership that has opened the door to some of the largest organisations in the UK, and it has shaped…