Sally Orange MBE is a former Army physiotherapist turned endurance adventurer, motivational speaker and mental health campaigner. With a deep understanding of the power of movement, she uses extreme challenges to change conversations around mental health, resilience and human potential, encouraging people to find their own Everest, on the mountains and in everyday life. sallyorange.com

Chris, the mountaineer, writer, photographer and lecturer, started climbing at the age of 16 in 1951. It has been his passion ever since. He made the first British ascent of the North Wall of the Eiger and led the expedition that made the first ascent of The South Face of Annapurna, the biggest and most difficult climb in the Himalaya at the time. He went on to lead the successful expedition making the first ascent of the South West Face of Everest in 1975 and then reached the summit of Everest himself in 1985 with a Norwegian expedition. He is still active in the mountains climbing with the same enthusiasm as he had at the beginning. bonington.com

Alistair Carns grew up in Scotland, went to state school and joined the military at 19, working his way up to the rank of Colonel. He served and led during four tours in Afghanistan and was awarded the Military Cross in 2011 ‘in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2010 to 31 March 2011’.

Carns became Minister for Veterans and People at the Ministry of Defence on 9 July 2024. He was elected as the Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak on 4 July 2024. He was appointed Minister for the Armed Forces in September 2025. alcarns.co.uk

A mother of three, Felicity Ashley became one of fewer than 250 women to row an ocean –unaware she had stage three bowel cancer.

Today, she’s an award-winning motivational speaker and best-selling author of ‘Stronger than the Storm’, inspiring audiences and readers to dream big, overcome challenges and thrive through change. felicityashley.com

As an associate professor, her research focuses on prehabilitation and the

ways in which exercise and psychological mindset contribute to

improved outcomes among individuals facing cancer. An accomplished mountaineer, Shaunna became the second Canadian woman to summit Mount Everest in 2005. Diagnosed with incurable breast cancer in 2024, Shaunna turned her mission into one of resilience and purpose, going on to re-summit Everest becoming the first woman with incurable cancer to do so. dyingtoclimb.com

I am a GP, Expedition Doctor, Researcher in Medical Anthropology and Documentary Filmmaker. I've always been drawn to stories; in the clinic room, out in the field and increasingly on screen. Using storytelling as a creative and clinical catalyst, my work focuses on mental health and the intersections between humanity, health and the arts. I am the recipient of a Churchill Fellowship, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Royal Society of the Arts, Vice Chair of the Explorers Club Great Britain and Ireland Chapter and a TEDx speaker. sophieredlin.com

I grew up in the Nepal Himalaya, beneath Annapurna. At 19, one of the first to join the British Ghurkas formed my vision of Himalaya and became the first to pass selection from RGR and enter the British SAS in the regiment’s history. For the past 26 years, I have served on the front line in Afghanistan and Iraq, on combat missions & in a training capacity. One of my roles supporting my fellow soldiers, my brothers, was a mountain specialist and mental health awareness. I have been to many dark places and know that I might not have survived to tell the tale without knowing my own culture of high Himalaya and eastern spiritual knowledge. warriormonkmindset.com

Jo is an experienced Clinical Exercise Physiologist specialising in designing individualised exercise programmes for cardiac and cancer patients. She supports clients in the Lake District and online and also works for Liverpool John Moores University and Clinical Exercise Physiology UK. jrhealth.co.uk

I am an advanced Breathwork and Mindfulness specialist from, ‘Mindfulness In The Lakes’ who transformed personal health challenges into a mission to help others. I make Mindfulness practical, accessible and easy to integrate into everyday life, empowering people to build resilience, wellbeing and deeper connection to themselves and others. mindfulnessinthelakes.com

Hari Budha Magar MBE is a record-breaking Nepalese mountaineer and former British Army Gurkha double above-knee amputee and record-breaking mountaineer. On 6th January 2026, he became the first double amputee to complete the Seven Summit challenge after climbing Mount Vinson, Antarctica’s tallest mountain. gvwhl.com/ZSCMN

Filmmaker & Buddhist Monk

Shelnang Mugum is a Nepalese independent filmmaker and Buddhist monk. Born in the Mugum region of rural Nepal, he joined a monastery at a young age – an experience that profoundly shaped his life and continues to influence his films.

He earned a Khenpo degree in Buddhist philosophy and teaches Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy in monasteries across Bhutan, India, and Nepal. Based primarily at Shechen Monastery in Boudha, Kathmandu, he serves in the administration and as a teacher. www.shelnang.com