Jan Meek Adventurer

In talking about her amazing adventures with her son, Jan is a powerful and charismatic speaker. Witty and entertaining, she describes her exploits with humility; and she discusses her unique relationship with her son with tenderness. She is an inspiration to those who hear her speak.

Lifetime Highlights

Jan has packed an enormous amount into her life so far:

• In her twenties, she worked in the British Film Industry alongside stars such as Roger Moore and Sammy
  Davis Jr.
• Jan has owned and run several businesses, and has represented small business and businesswomen on the
  Heart of England TEC.
• Jan is a former Mayor of Chipping Norton, and was the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.
• She is a Guinness World Record holder for crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a rowing boat with her son.
• Jan also holds a Guinness World Record for reaching the Magnetic North Pole by foot – also with her son.
• Jan and her son are featured, with photographs, twice in the 2008 Guinness Book of Records – only Tony
  Blair shares this honour!

Jan Meek: Ocean Rower

In 1997 only 22 people had ever rowed an ocean, and six had died trying. Jan Meek didn’t let these statistics, or the fact that she had never set foot in a rowing boat in her life, put her off. When her son asked her to join him for the first ever ocean rowing race, she seized the moment.

They were very much the ‘Heath Robinson’ team, setting off with a £30 camping stove, no satellite phone, just a hand pump for water, and only one set of foul weather gear between the two of them! The intrepid pair went on to spend 101 days at sea in their tiny wooden rowing boat, crossing over 3000 nautical miles. In doing so, they set a World Record as the first mother and son team to row any ocean.

Polar Record

Ten years later, in 2007, they achieved another record as the first mother and son to reach any Pole by foot when they walked and skied 350 nautical miles to the Magnetic North Pole. Surviving Polar Bears and temperatures as low as -68 degrees C, they reached the Pole in 24 days; during which they faced the worst ice conditions for years, slush and open water, and a near catastrophic tent fire which almost ended their adventure with disaster! Guinness World Records were so impressed they delayed printing the 2008 book to include the intrepid pair.

More people have been in space than have rowed an ocean or walked to one of the Earth’s Poles. More people have walked on the moon than have done both.

Jan Meek: Speaker

Jan is a superb inspirational speaker and topics include: Motivation, Teamwork – how to overcome challenges and obstacles, Ocean-Rowing, Polar Racing, Personal goal setting, leadership and problem solving – or just a very entertaining story to entertain you after a good lunch or dinner!

Areas of Expertise

Jan’s story is multi-layered. It is a tale of human endeavour. She was neither a rower nor a sailor before embarking across the Atlantic, and she had no Arctic experience before setting out to the Pole. She and her son proved that ordinary people are capable of the most extraordinary feats if they believe in themselves.

It is also a tale of human relationships. Few mothers and sons get to really know one another as friends and companions the way that Jan and her son did, during 101 days at sea and 24 days on the Arctic ice-pack. And by taking his mother with him, the responsibility Dan felt to bring her back safely was almost overwhelming. Before the Atlantic row, an entrant from Germany summed it up when he said to Dan: “I think perhaps you have the most precious cargo of all on your boat.”

Jan Meek firmly believes that we’re all in charge of our own destinies, and it is the challenges that we turn away from in life that we most regret. The most important factor in taking control of your life isn’t how strong or clever you are – it’s your attitude. Whatever your challenge is, in your work or your home life, if you believe in yourself you can succeed. With the right mental attitude, anyone can cross their ocean, reach their Pole, or climb their own personal Everest.