Debra Searle (formerly Veal) was heralded Britain's latest sporting heroine. (The Times) when the media worldwide went crazy for the story of the 5ft 5 young lady who carried on rowing alone when her husband, a 6 ft 5 international oarsman, left the boat after developing an uncontrollable fear of the ocean. Debra, who was loving life at sea in a 23 foot plywood boat, saw no reason to stop and rowed on to become unofficially the fourth women in the world to have rowed an ocean solo.

The 3000 mile journey that was initially supposed to take 6 weeks took Debra a staggering 3 months and saw her battling with 30 foot waves, force 8 squalls and sharks, while having to dodge tankers that came too close for comfort on more than a few occasions. Worse than all of this, however, was dealing with the loneliness and solitude but focussing on one motto kept Debra going Choose your attitude and she certainly did.

Debra's overwhelming positivity and 'go for it' attitude are contagious, while her modesty is endearing. She regularly delivers both motivational presentations and after dinner speeches using her story to powerfully but subtly draw out key business and personal lessons.

Companies have benefited from Debra's delivery of themes such as 'mind tricks for success', 'goal setting and rewards', 'using visualisation to succeed', 'change management', 'enhanced colleague relationships', 'how to re-write your own history' and how to 'choose your attitude' no matter how impossible the end goal may seem. Debra powerfully illustrates with slides and stunning video footage and leaves her audience in no doubt of their own ability to achieve the extraordinary.

Furthermore, Debra sets herself apart from other speakers by her level of commitment to each project. Taking the time to ensure she fully understands the audience, conference themes and gathering company and industry specific information allows her to tailor her presentation to your exact requirements. This same level of commitment is carried through to the event where she makes every effort to speak to delegates on a one-to-one basis.

Whilst at sea Debra discovered a passion for writing. She wrote over 60,000 words about her experiences which she completed on her return to dry land. 'Rowing it Alone'. Debra has subsequently published her second book 'The Journey' and has contributed to two further books. She has also written a number of features for the Daily Express and The Daily Telegraph.

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Debra's Showreel