4,800km
Rowed the Pacific
California to Hawaii with the Brothers N Oars crew: 39 days, 4 hours and 28 minutes, unsupported and unassisted, through 40-foot waves and a near miss with a cargo ship.
Keynote speaker · Adventurer · TV presenter 25.20° N, 55.27° E · Dubai
Grit wins.In business, in life, in the bottom line.
Paris Norriss is a keynote speaker on resilience and high performance who rowed the Pacific Ocean and ran seven marathons on seven continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes. His keynote, The Grit Code, turns those stories into a framework your people can use.
39 daysRowing the Pacific
5d 21h 51m7 marathons on 7 continents
4,000TEDx Amman audience
123Countries his TV shows reach
Trusted on stage by
Based in the UAE, Paris is a regular keynote speaker in Dubai and across the Gulf.
TEDx Amman · Roman Theatre
Sixty seconds to live.
Nine days into the Pacific, a cargo ship bore down on Paris and his crew with a minute to spare. In this six-minute TEDx talk, delivered to 4,000 people in Amman’s 2,000-year-old Roman Theatre, he shows what that moment taught him about grit.
The keynote
The Grit Code
More than a motivational talk. The Grit Code breaks resilience into parts your teams can train, using lessons from the ocean, the ice and the world’s most tenacious high achievers.
01
Build resilient leaders and teams
Outperform the competition during challenging times, not just the good ones.
02
Sharpen problem-solving
Adapt, pivot and execute solutions instead of dwelling on setbacks.
03
Lift productivity and focus
Stay driven, push limits and get results in high-stakes situations.
04
Drive revenue growth
A team that embraces grit delivers higher performance, better decisions and bigger profits.
Earned, not borrowed
The stories behind the stage
Every lesson in The Grit Code was tested in the field, from the middle of the Pacific to Antarctica.
7marathons
World Marathon Challenge
Seven marathons on seven continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes, from Antarctica to Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami.
123countries
TV presenter
Host of Guy in Dubai and Guy in the Sky. His shows are distributed in 123 countries on more than 12 platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, OSN and Emirates ICE, and Guy in Dubai has 22 million views.
Many of these adventures were filmed. Watch full episodes of Guy in Dubai, the Pacific Row documentary and Adventures in Ireland.
See where The Grit Code has been on stage recently, from TEDx Amman to the UN Tourism General Assembly.
Boat CaptainRope AccessParamotor PilotSkydiverScuba & Freediver
Ways to book
Four formats, one message
From a 45-minute main-stage keynote to a full day as your host, each format is built around your event’s theme.
45–60 minutes
Keynote
The Grit Code, live on stage. Pacific storms, a cargo ship on a collision course and seven marathons on seven continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes, turned into a framework your people can use on Monday morning.
90 minutes – half day
Workshop / breakout
Grit Deconstruction for leadership teams and sales groups: a hands-on session that maps where your team breaks under pressure and builds a plan to fix it.
30–45 minutes
Virtual keynote
A tight, high-energy version of The Grit Code for remote and hybrid teams, with expedition footage and live Q&A.
Half or full day
Host / MC / panel
A seasoned TV presenter who keeps your programme on time, your panels lively and your audience switched on from opening to close.
What organisers say
Booked by people who need results
I’ve had the privilege of witnessing Paris Norriss in action as a storyteller, motivator and a true catalyst for transformation. Through his powerful awe-inspiring adventures, he doesn’t just recount tales of endurance and grit, he lives them.
I had the pleasure of working with Paris during TEDxAmman, the largest TEDx event in the MENA region, where he joined us as one of our inspiring speakers. From the very start, he showed professionalism, positivity, and contagious enthusiasm that uplifted everyone around him.
Paris Norriss is a true adventurer and entrepreneur. He came to speak with our Soldiers in Hawaii to tell them stories on his adventures including his most recent, rowing across the Pacific Ocean to Kauai. His story showed our team what the world has to offer, to be resilient and how important teamwork can be especially in times of hardship.
Paris is both captivating and uplifting. We appreciated his open, honest, and heartfelt journey. His raw and genuine account of his pioneering adventure underlines his resilience and grit against any obstacle he faced. His story is highly impactful and we found it inspiring to deliver more passion, energy and a collaborative spirit.
As part of our takeover of the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 we held a number of business sessions and a celebratory event throughout the day. We worked with Paris on this to be our keynote speaker, who was extremely professional and easy to deal with. He managed to change his tone to the appropriate audiences with laughs had by all. A pleasure to work with.
Why grit, why now
The age of AI needs more grit, not less
With AI taking on more and more of our hard tasks, the epidemic on the horizon is a generation without the will and perseverance to push through hard situations.
AI will rewrite jobs faster than any skills curriculum can keep up. The one capability that never goes out of date is the ability to keep going when the plan breaks. Grit is not something a lucky few are born with. It is a muscle, and it can be trained, in anyone.
The Grit Generation
A youth programme that builds grit, a growth mindset and entrepreneurial thinking, through school workshops, extracurricular programmes, holiday camps and events.
Explore the programme →
Meet the speaker
From Longleat to the Pacific
Raised on the grounds of Longleat in England, a decathlete on scholarship at Millfield and a graduate of Edinburgh University, Paris moved to Dubai to build businesses as an entrepreneur before turning his life into a laboratory for grit.
Today he is a TV presenter, conservationist and one of the region’s most sought-after resilience speakers. His Pacific row raised more than £150,000 for the Blue Marine Foundation.
Latest thinking
Articles on grit
Field notes on resilience, purpose and performance, written between expeditions.
Principles of Grit from the Slave Trade Era
Filming our adventure TV show Guy in the Sky, we had the honour of visiting the Seychelles — not as tourists, but as storytellers. My goal is always t…
Resilience during time of Crisis
This article was written following the missile invasion in Dubai during the Iran conflict. The Grit Code: How to Navigate Uncertainty and Come Out Str…
Lessons in Grit from the Bedouins
Living in the Middle East for sixteen years has given me countless gifts, but few as profound as the occasional encounters with Bedouins who, even in …
Booking questions
FAQ
What is The Grit Code keynote about?
The Grit Code is a keynote on resilience, mental toughness and high performance. Paris uses real stories from rowing the Pacific Ocean, running seven marathons on seven continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes and filming adventure television around the world to show how grit is built, not inherited, and how leaders can build it into their teams.
Who is the keynote for?
Leadership teams, sales kick-offs, annual conferences, government and military audiences, and anyone facing change, pressure or a big goal. Past audiences include TEDx Amman, the UN Tourism General Assembly, COP28, Expo 2020, the US Army, DHL, Nokia, Dulsco, Arabian Travel Market and Dubai Airports.
How long is the talk?
The flagship keynote runs 45 to 60 minutes including Q&A. Paris also delivers 90-minute to half-day workshops, 30 to 45-minute virtual keynotes, and hosts or moderates full-day events.
Can the keynote be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every talk starts with a short briefing call so the stories and takeaways connect to your theme, your industry and the challenges your people are facing right now.
Where is Paris based and does he travel?
Paris is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and speaks at events across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the wider GCC and internationally, in person or virtually.
How much does it cost to book Paris Norriss?
Fees depend on the format, date, location and travel. Send an enquiry with your event details and you will receive a clear quote.
Do you work with schools?
Yes. The Grit Generation is Paris’ programme for young people, delivered through school workshops, extracurricular programmes, holiday camps, special events and home-learning resources. It builds grit, a growth mindset and entrepreneurial thinking.
Can Paris host or MC our event?
Yes. As the presenter of the TV series Guy in Dubai and Guy in the Sky, Paris is comfortable on camera and on stage, and regularly hosts panels, fireside chats and awards.
What does Paris need on the day?
A screen and projector or LED wall for expedition footage, a lapel or headset microphone, and a short sound check. Full technical details are confirmed once the booking is in place.
Check availability
Bring grit to your next event
Tell us the date, the audience and what you want them to walk out with. You will get a straight answer on availability and fit.