Alex Staniforth

Alex in Kathmandu in 2016

Alex Staniforth is a 21 year old adventurer, motivational speaker, writer and charity ambassador from Cheshire, United Kingdom. He has made two attempts to climb Mt. Everest, carried the London 2012 Olympic flame and completed numerous endurance challenges. His debut book 'Icefall' was published in March 2016 and is an autobiographical account of his attempts to climb Everest.

Early life

Alex was born in Cheshire in 1995. He grew up in Kelsall with his family and attended Tarporley High School and Sixth Form College before becoming an adventurer and motivational speaker. Aged 9, Alex was diagnosed with epilepsy which caused him to suffer from depression, anxiety and regular panic attacks.

Adventurer

Aged 13, Alex tried out paragliding on a family holiday in Turkey. His experience inspired him and he quickly took an interest in outdoor activities and mountain climbing especially. In 2011, he became a qualified PADI Open Water Scuba Diver. A year later, he reached the summit of Mt. Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps at 4,810 meters, aged just 17. At 18, Alex attempted to climb Baruntse, his first Himalayan adventure. Baruntse is 7,162 meters tall and, although Alex did not climb to the summit, he reached 6,600 meters.

Everest

First Attempt

Alex first attempted to climb Mt. Everest aged 18. He approached the mountain from Lukla and spent a few weeks at Base Camp preparing. Alex and his group then progressed gradually to Base Camps 1, 2, 3 and 4. At Base Camp Alex and his team were preparing for their bid on the summit when an avalanche in the Khumbu Icefall killed 16 sherpas. The avalanche was the biggest disaster in Everest history and the decision was taken to abandon the expedition.

Second Attempt

After tragedy cut short his first attempt in 2014, Alex resolved to return to Everest in 2015.

In preparation, Alex launched the EPIC 7 project 'Through Adversity to Everest'. The project was a series of ultra-high endurance challenges that were designed to prepare Alex's body physically for another attempt on Everest in 2015. He set off on an expedition via the South Side of Everest. Alex and his team reached Camp 1 at 6,000 meters but on 25 April 2015, the Nepal earthquake struck. The earthquake measured 7.8 on the Richter scale and precipitated several avalanches on Everest, one of which hit base camp and killed 3 Sherpas in Alex's team. At the time of the earthquake, Alex was just below Camp 1 and was caught in another avalanche which he and his team luckily survived, trapped on the mountain for two days before evacuation by helicopter.

Cho Oyu

After both his expeditions to the summit of Everest were tragically cut short, Alex decided to take on a different challenge and climb the world's sixth highest mountain Cho Oyu, which stands at over 8,000 meters, in preparation for another attempt on Everest in the near future. During the expedition in Autumn 2016 he reached Camp 2 (7,125 meters) before abandoning his summit bid with Acute Mountain Sickness.^[1]

Debut Book: 'Icefall'

Alex's autobiography, 'Icefall', was published in March 2016 by Coventry House Publishing. It tells how Alex has overcome adversity since his childhood in Cheshire to reach the top of the world – the summit of Everest. Adventurers Bear Grylls and Mark Wood both endorsed the book, with Wood commenting that Alex is a "true inspiration to a young generation of adventurers".

Tour

In Summer 2016, Alex toured the UK signing books and talking about his experiences.^[2]

Charity Work

Alex is a high active fundraiser and charity ambassador. Alex has previously supported REACT, an animal protection charity, as well as Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Cancer Research UK. In 2014, on his first expedition to Everest, Alex raised money for the Himalayan Trust UK.

Alex Staniforth Adversity Fund (ASAF)

The Alex Staniforth Adversity Fund (ASAF) was launched to coincide with Alex's 2015 expedition to Everest. The charity works to promote a healthy and active lifestyle in Alex's local area in Cheshire and supports those with mental health issues and disabilities and those who have been the victims of bullying.

It is administered by Active Cheshire.

PHASE Worldwide

In August 2016, Alex became an ambassador for PHASE Worldwide.^[3]

Alex has worked with PHASE since he helped to organise the 'Walk for Nepal' event on the anniversary of the earthquake in April 2016. Over 120 people, including Alex, climbed Mt. Snowdon in Wales and raised over £15,000 for PHASE who work on improving education, livelihoods and access to healthcare in the most remote areas of Nepal as well as delivering immediate humanitarian aid in the wake of the earthquake in April 2015.

On his 2016 expedition to climb Cho Oyu, Alex will represent PHASE Worldwide and will lead another 'Walk for Nepal' event in June 2017, this time to reach the summit of England's highest peak, Scafell Pike.

Motivational Speaker

Alex tours the country giving motivational speeches to a variety of audiences, including schools, charities, corporate audiences and universities. He focuses on his two climbs up Everest in 2014 and 2015 and talks about overcoming adversity, leadership, resilience and teamwork among many other topics.^[4]

References