Jaco van Gass
Inspire resilience and peak performance with Jaco van Gass, speaker, Paralympic champion and motivational expert. Jaco works with organisations to overcome adversity, build mental resilience, and achieve ambitious goals, delivering world-record insights as 4x Paralympic gold medallist and bestselling author.
Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Born in South Africa, Jaco moved to the United Kingdom at twenty to join the elite Parachute Regiment. During his second tour of Afghanistan in 2009, he sustained life-changing injuries. Refusing to be defined by these challenges, he rebuilt his life with extraordinary determination, becoming a first-class athlete and adventurer. He has skied, run marathons, climbed Mt Denali, and trekked to the North Pole alongside Prince Harry.
Jaco joined the GB Para-Cycling Team, where he went on to achieve global success, including four Paralympic gold medals, one bronze, and multiple world records at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games. His 2022 memoir, Unequivocal, chronicles his journey through recovery, sport, and rediscovery of purpose.
Today, Jaco is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, addressing audiences across business, education, and charity sectors. Blending humility, humour, and candour, he shares practical lessons on resilience, adaptability, leadership, and high performance drawn from both the battlefield and elite sport. His story challenges assumptions about limitation and capability, leaving audiences with a renewed sense of purpose and perspective.
Book Jaco to inspire your organisation to overcome setbacks, embrace change, and pursue excellence against all odds.
Topics, Sessions And Talks
In this compelling keynote, attendees will discover actionable strategies for navigating and triumphing over adversity. Drawing from real-life experiences and psychological insights, this talk empowers individuals to harness resilience, cultivate a positive mindset, and overcome obstacles with grace and determination. Through inspiring anecdotes and practical tips, audiences will gain the tools needed to thrive in the face of challenges, transforming adversity into opportunities for growth and success.
This session explores unleashing the power within oneself to achieve high performance. Attendees will learn strategies and techniques to tap into their inner potential and unlock their full capabilities. By understanding how to harness their personal power, attendees will be able to enhance their performance in various aspects of their lives, such as career, relationships, and personal growth. This session will provide practical tools and insights to empower attendees to reach their highest level of performance and success.
This session explores the importance of collaboration in building stronger teams. Attendees will learn how to identify and overcome common barriers to collaboration, as well as strategies for fostering a culture of teamwork and communication. By unleashing the power of collaboration, attendees will be able to improve productivity, increase innovation, and achieve greater success in their personal and professional lives.
This session aims to shed light on the importance of mental health and break the silence surrounding it. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of mental health issues, learn strategies to empower themselves and others, and discover resources available for support. By attending this session, individuals will have the knowledge and tools to promote mental wellbeing, reduce stigma, and create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all.
Participants will explore the importance of creating inclusive environments that celebrate diversity. This engaging keynote offers practical strategies for building a culture of respect, understanding, and collaboration. Attendees will learn to recognize and overcome biases, support marginalized voices, and promote equity in their companies. Through inspiring stories and actionable insights, this session empowers individuals and teams to embrace differences and foster a more inclusive and innovative workplace.
Looking for a custom keynote or workshop designed around your company’s goals and culture? The expert will create a tailored, interactive session that aligns with your objectives, values, and strategic priorities. From leadership and innovation to wellbeing and collaboration, each experience is built from the ground up to deliver measurable impact and lasting change.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about booking an expert speaker, facilitator, host or entertainment for your event.
- If you'd like to book one of our expert speakers, email us at hello@peptalk.com, send us a chat message or give us a call, and we’ll help you out.
- We’ll take your event details — topic, audience, budget, date, and location — and create a custom speaker proposal for you within 48 hours.
- If you already have someone in mind, that’s okay too; just let us know their name! Even if they aren't listed publicly on our website, we have a huge network and work with almost everyone.
- Once you've reviewed our speaker propsal and have selected and expert shortlist, we'll double check availability and fees with your chosen expert.
- You're welcome to have a chemistry call with the speaker before making the final decision, too.
- Next, we'll send out contracts to confirm the booking. One of our experienced event producers will liase with both you and the talent on the finer details, and arrange travel if necessary, taking the stress off your plate.
Not necessarily. While the speakers listed on our website may not have worked with PepTalk in the past, they are recognized professionals in the industry and known to engage in similar events and engagements. We work with a wide variety of speaker agents and talent agencies to ensure we have the best selection of speakers, hosts, comedians and entertainers available.
We do not accommodate requests for birthday messages or any other personal, non-commercial contact with the speakers, comedians or entertainers.
We work with speakers across a variety of fee ranges, giving you the flexibility to choose someone who fits your event's needs. Virtual keynote fees in the UK and Europe typically start at £2,000, while in-person top-tier speakers can reach £25,000. In the US, virtual in-person fees range from $5,000 to over $100,000, depending on the speaker and format, such as after-dinner talks, conference keynotes, Q&As, or podcasts. Comedians generally start at £1,500 or $2,000 for a 20-minute set.
Our goal is to help you find the speaker who best matches your event’s goals and budget. We take the time to understand your event, objectives, and audience to recommend the right fit. The most expensive option isn’t always the best one, and our priority is finding the ideal speaker or expert for your needs; not the highest-priced one.
Reach out for personalised recommendations and detailed information on specific speaker fees. We’re here to offer a tailored service and are always happy to discuss your unique requirements!
There’s no additional cost for our services beyond the speaker fee — simply contact us to find the right speaker for your next business or team event. We can also work with your corporate procurement team to negotiate favourable long-term rates, simply email hello@getapeptalk.com for more information.
Partnering with PepTalk means elevating your events with our curated roster of top motivational speakers, industry experts, delivering punchy keynotes that leave a lasting impact. From talent selection, to contracts and logistics, we handle it all. We have global expert network, with over 3000 speakers from over 33 countries on our line-up.
We also provide a full range of talent, from event hosts and moderators to interviewers and corporate entertainment, ensuring your event’s success from start to finish.
PepTalk workshops are interactive learning experiences for leaders at all levels, blending theory with practical insights from industry experts. These programs, led by experienced facilitators, are designed to drive real mindset changes and equip participants with actionable skills. Workshops can be customised to meet your organisation's specific needs. Explore our workshop examples and contact us today to learn how your team can benefit.
If you notice something that needs attention or have any queries regarding an expert speaker profile, feel free to email us at experts@getapeptalk.com, and we’ll be happy to assist.