Sorrel Wilby

Sorrel Wilby is an award-winning adventurer, inspirational keynote speaker and MC, and exceptional media presenter/producer. She is also Chair of the Australian Geographic Society.

Sorrel loves to bring the world to Australians and Australia to the world in her books, documentary productions and speaking engagements.

A courageous traveler, throughout her life she has followed her dreams and ventured into the world’s wildest and most remote areas. For many years she was a guest and roving reporter for Channel 9’s Getaway program, produced The Best of Australia documentary series for Australian Geographic and Channel Nine and produced and presented all of Tourism Australia’s National Landscape promotions. Sorrel also produced the online video content for Indigenous Tourism Australia’s website.

From her many experiences ‘in the field’ on expeditions and filming sojourns, Sorrel has become increasingly concerned about the environment and how ‘disconnected’ people have become from it. She is now immersed in projects that support sustainability and the environment and reconnecting kids to nature. She talks about what we stand to lose if we don’t redress the balance – and what we’ll gain if we do.

Sorrel is regularly asked to MC or speak at conferences, tourism events and award presentations. Her self-deprecating accounts of her achievements are highly motivational and very entertaining. Her friendly eloquence is vibrant and stimulating as she recounts her remarkable adventures in a down-to-earth, natural manner.

Sorrel’s clients include Eco-Tourism, Regional Tourism, ATE, Tourism Futures, Parks Forum and ATEC.

Having lived a life of adventure and challenge, Sorrel Wilby encourages others to pursue their own dreams – whether in the personal or professional realm.

About Sorrel Wilby:

Sorrel’s first trek – 3000km alone across Tibet – was the fulfillment of a dream and a catalyst in her life and career: National Geographic wanted her photos and story; Australian Geographic gave her an Award for Excellence (1986); and her book, Tibet – A Woman’s Lone Trek Across A Mysterious Land was a bestseller.

In 1991 Sorrel and her husband Chris Ciantar become the first people in the world to make a complete traverse of the world’s roughest and highest mountain range, the mighty Himalayas. Trekking, walking, crawling and climbing, their 6,500 km journey was one of adversity, hardship, frustration, desolation and pure joy. Sorrel recounted their remarkable story in her best-selling book Across The Top.

Following this, Sorrel and Chris’s next expedition was an African Summit Safari during which they climbed all the major mountains on the continent. Again their extraordinary story was recounted in the book Africa – a timeless soul, a 3-hour television documentary co-produced with Beyond International and the Learning Channel, and screened in over 30 countries.

In demand as a feature writer and photographer, Sorrel’s work has appeared in over 100 magazines and newspapers throughout the world and include Australian Geographic, National Geographic, Weekend Australian, The Australian Way, 4Wheeler and Expanse.

She is the author of several books including Beyond The Icefall about the 1988 Australian Bicentennial Everest Expedition, Images From The Wildside, Africa: A Timeless Soul, Journey Across Tibet and Surviving Australia. Her children’s books include Wombat and Emu Trekking in Tibet (1989), Wombat and Emu Journey to Japan (1990) and the Let’s Go Wild series.

Sorrel and her husband live on Norfolk Island, where they own the local television station.

Sorrel Wilby talks about:

• Adventure – The Ultimate in Self-Motivation
• Taking The First Step
• Making Your Dream Come True
• The Power of Persistence
• Meeting The Challenge