Ultra-Endurance Athlete & Guinness World Record Holder
James Lawrence: Biography at a Glance
- James Lawrence, known for his signature cowboy hat, is a legendary ultra-endurance athlete who has shattered previous notions of human physical and mental limits.
- James completed the 50-50-50; 50 Ironman distance triathlons, in 50 consecutive days, in 50 different states all while raising money to combat childhood obesity.
- He followed that up with The Conquer 100, 100 Ironman triathlons (140.6 miles per day) in 100 consecutive days to combat sex trafficking.
- Originally a high school wrestler and later a mortgage and finance professional, James hit rock bottom during the 2008 financial crisis, sparking his journey to becoming the world's greatest endurance athlete.
- His journey began humbly with a struggle to complete a local 4-mile fun run. That experience taught him the invaluable lesson that "everyone’s ‘hard’ is different," emphasizing the importance of showing up and persevering.
- Today, James is a dynamic keynote speaker, sharing his incredible story in 50 countries, reaching millions, and inspiring audiences to push their own limits.
- James is a best-selling author and the subject of a critically acclaimed feature film, continuing to redefine what is possible in his own life and teaching others to do the same.
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Biography
Known as The Iron Cowboy for the signature cowboy hat he wears while running races so his five kids can see him coming from far away, James Lawrence is an ultra-endurance athlete who has pushed himself beyond what many doctors previously believed to be physiologically possible. In so doing, he has redefined both mental toughness and physical endurance.
Originally a high school wrestler, James spent a decade in the mortgage and finance business before losing it all in the financial crisis of 2008. At rock bottom, his career as the greatest endurance athlete on the planet started quite humbly, struggling to complete a local 4-mile fun run with his wife, Sunny. Inspired by that experience, on that day he learned a lesson that has served him well ever since.
“I learned quickly that everyone’s ‘hard’ is different. Back then, four miles was really difficult for me. I learned that one of the most important things in life is to just show up.”
Today, James is one of the most dynamic, inspiring, larger-than-life keynote speakers in the world, having shared his astonishing story in 50 different countries across the globe reaching millions of people. He is a best-selling author and the subject of a critically acclaimed feature film. He continues to redefine the impossible in his own life while teaching audiences around the world to do the same in their own lives.
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Redefine Impossible
While James is an astonishing athlete, sport is really not what he talks about. He is a master of mindset, focus, and managing self-doubt. This is what he teaches.
James talks about the incredible power of hope and teamwork. He speaks about accountability, both to yourself and to your team. He shows his audience how to remove excuses from their own lives in order to unlock more ability.
In one of the most moving sections of Redefine Impossible, James reflects on his time with Dayton Hayward, a boy with Cerebral Palsy who loved to feel the wind in his face. James teamed up with Dayton and pulled, pushed, and carried him through an entire Ironman race. During that race, despite the increased physical demands, James gained a deeper understanding of perspective and privilege. As James shares in his presentation, “I remember looking at him many times that day, thinking Dayton can’t swim, he can’t bike, he can’t run...but I get to swim today, I get to ride today, I get to run today. Despite the pain, all of that is a privilege.”
Whether speaking to a room full of C-suite leaders, an international sales team, a finely tuned military group, or any one of countless professional sports teams, James’ expertise is in teaching people to change how they think in order to remove self-imposed limits.
