Meet the Speaker: Louis Alexander
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Can you introduce yourself to our audience?
Hello everyone! My name is Louis, and I am one of the youngest professional adventurers in the world, and a three-time World Record holder. I'm very excited to be joining you this April at the Excel, for the Care Show London, where I will be one of the headline speakers.
Over the last few years, I've been lucky to embark on adventures and expeditions around the world. Through the seven continents, the seven seas, through mountains, jungles, deserts, oceans, and beyond, and what I've learned is that the adventure spirit is everywhere. It is within all of us. My mission in April is to bring it to the Excel London, and I can't wait to meet you all!
At 19 years old, I stood at my Grandad’s funeral and made a promise, which was to support the fight against dementia, until the day we find a cure. And the truth is, that promise is what’s driven every single adventure since. We’ve raised over £60,000, I’ve delivered letters to the Prime Minister, and the purpose continues. That is my mission. And what I’ve realised over the last few years meeting carers, meeting research scientists, meeting volunteers, is that they are the most courageous people. Not the adventurers, but those who work in the care sector. I’m so excited to meet you all in April and share that adventure spirit with you.
What are you going to be speaking about at Care Show London this April?
My Keynote talk: ‘Caring through challenge’, is going to take you on a journey of my career to date. From my first adventure at 19 in honour of my grandad, who battled with dementia for 17 years, to going full time at 22 and becoming one of the youngest professional adventures in the world, to now at 26, with three world records. But most importantly the values I've learnt along the way. The adventurer values: resilience, purpose, sacrifice, and teamwork; the values that we all need. Whether your office is like mine on a mountain or deep in a jungle, or whether it's an office, or a care centre, or a care home. Wherever it may be, these are the values we all need and are the ones that I’m going to talk about during my Keynote session.
What’s your favourite world record so far?
The one I'm most proud of is becoming the only person in the world to run marathons in all 7 continents and swim marathons in all 7 seas. That was recognised by Guinness World Records. That took 633 days, almost two years of my life, and I ran through some of the most remote place on earth. From the Amazon jungle to the Arctic Circle, to deserts out in Northern Africa, I swam through the classical seven seas. I swam through jellyfish swarms in the Black Sea, through the heats of the Arabian Sea, to the cold of the north. That's my proudest World Record to date.
What’s been the hardest moment of your adventuring career so far?
Well, I’ve had some different encounters with wildlife out in the deserts, walking through crevasse fields in the mountains, but I think one of my toughest was a few years ago. I ran 17 marathons in 17 consecutive days in honour of the 17 years that my grandad lived with dementia. By day 10, I’d developed shin splints, a chest infection, and a fever. That's what I’m going to be speaking about in April; how I got through that day 10 and how we can all get through that day 10 in our lives, because we all go through that in some ways. I think many ways that was the proudest day of my career so far.
What do care workers and adventurers have in common?
One word is probably ‘courage’. I think, I’ve met some incredibly brave people, and they haven’t been out on adventures; they’ve been in care homes. I think back to those who cared for my Grandad during his 17-year battle and I think about my Nan and my Mum, and everyone who goes through a similar thing. So yes, I’d say the one word would be ‘courage.’
What does extreme adventure teach you about resilience?
I've learned very early on that we can't always control our emotions, and during a marathon, or a ten kilometre run, or whatever it may be, your emotions go up and down. Some moments are sad, you’re then at a high, you're happy… all these different things but what you can control is your decisions. When I get to the start line of a marathon, I say my same little motto, “I'm the only person who can start this, and I’m the only person who can finish it, and I will take every step in between.” But what I mean is although my emotions go up and down, a bit like a wave, my decisions are flat line. They're consistent. And that's what I've learned about resilience; we can't always control our emotions.
I heard that you recently partnered with Cinnamon Care Collection to be an ambassador. Tell me how you came to be in that space, and what the collaboration means to you?
I’m very proud of this new partnership. I announced in January that I'm welcoming Cinnamon [Care Collection] on board as my new headline sponsor for 2026 through both my adventures at home and far away. It's rare you find a partner, and a headline sponsor who care so deeply about the same values; the same mission for dementia and I’m very excited to be working with the team there.
Fantastic! Well, we’re really looking forward to having you at Care Show!
See you there!
