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.
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