15 May 2026 · 5 min read
Speaker of the day: Sarah Marquis — Leadership and Management
Every day we spotlight one voice from the UnoMe network. Today: Sarah Marquis, Leadership and Management — one of the keynote speakers we recommend for corporate events and conferences in Ajman, Jeddah and across the GCC.
Who is Sarah Marquis?
If you add up all her expeditions, National Geographic Explorer Sarah Marquis has walked the equivalent of around the world, alone. Step by step, this extreme adventurer has conquered the most difficult to access areas of the planet, seeking her limits but also the link between humankind and nature.
Facing appalling living conditions (negative temperatures, malice, arid climate, drug traffickers and crocodiles), this woman pushed her limits to feel through her body, senses, and spirit the foundations of her being, in order to get closer to what is deepest within her.
Speaker's spoken languages:
- French
- English
Sarah Marquis gives lectures in French-speaking Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Vaud, Neuchâtel...) and internationally.
The passion for adventure and a spartan lifestyle
Attracted by travel at a very young age, a thirst for adventure that would never cease awoke in young Sarah Marquis. After trying horse riding and canoeing, she chose long-distance walking to flourish... and to discover herself. Her method of operation is as follows: she walks tens of kilometers with a backpack or a small cart for her belongings and in the evening, she pitches a tent to spend the night.
Memorable journeys, thrilling adventures... but not without danger!
In 2010, she traversed the landscapes from Siberia to Australia, passing through Mongolia, the Gobi Desert, China, Laos, and Thailand. She had to face temperatures of -33 degrees Celsius, sandstorms, malicious nocturnal visits from Mongolian horsemen, nights hidden in sewers, drug traffickers, dengue fever outbreaks, and an arrest by Chinese special forces.
Five years later, the National Geographic explorer successfully completed her survival expedition in the Kimberley region of northwestern Australia. Over a period of 3 months, from June to September, she crossed the region feeding on “bush tucker” like our hunter-gatherer ancestors. During this journey, Sarah survived drought, face-to-face encounters with saltwater crocodiles, bushfires, and deadly snakes. She is one of the few people to have experienced these extreme conditions.
All the obstacles she overcame have ingrained in her this motto: a problem does not arise without a solution.
25 years of exploration and adventure
- 2000: crossing the USA: 4260 km in 4 months and 6 days between the Canadian and Mexican borders
- 2002: 14000 km in the Australian outback
- 2006: 8 months and 7000 km on the Andes Mountains
- 2010: 3 years of solo walking from Siberia to Australia
- 2013: European Adventurer of the Year
- 2014: Nomination for National Geographic Adventurer of the Year
- 2014: Publication of her portrait in the New York Time Magazine
- 2015: 3 months and 750 km of extreme survival in the wildest part of Australia
- 2018: cited by CN Traveller as one of the most influential women in the world
- 2018: solo crossing of unexplored primary rainforests of Tasmania
The lessons your employees will learn from Sarah Marquis's expeditions:
- Learning to push one's limits
- Stepping out of one's comfort zone
- Being flexible
- Developing resilience
- How to move forward into the unknown
Her books
- The Desert Adventurer: 14000 km on foot across the Australian deserts, Éditions Michel Lafon, 2004
- The extraordinary destiny of D'Joe: the Australian dog of adventurer Sarah Marquis, Eucalype, Verbier, 2009
- Wild by Nature: 3 years of extreme solo walking from Siberia to Australia, Michel Lafon, Paris, 2014
- Altitude Deserts: From Chile to Machu Picchu, 8 months on foot in the Andes Mountains, Michel Lafon, Paris, 2015
- Instincts: Three months alone on foot, surviving in the wild Australian West, Michel Lafon, Paris, 2016
- I Woke the Tiger, Michel Lafon, Paris, 2018
-
Nature in My Life, tips and tricks from an adventurer, Michel Lafon, Paris
- On the Backs of Birds, Michel Lafon, Paris, 2021
Topics on stage
- Leadership and Management
- Individual and Collective Motivation
Who is this keynote for?
A talk by Sarah Marquis fits annual kick-offs, leadership days, industry conferences and talent programmes. The format usually runs 45 to 60 minutes, with an optional Q&A or a closed-door executive workshop.
Booking in the UAE and the Gulf
UnoMe, the Swiss Speakers' Bureau in Dubai, handles everything: selection, negotiation, travel and preparation with your team. Contact us to check Sarah Marquis's availability for your date.