Speaker Biography
Ottawa-born explorer Jean-François Carrey had no idea what he wanted to do with his life when he was 17. A year later, while traveling in Nepal, he set eyes on Mount Everest for the first time. At 24, the climber became the youngest Canadian to reach the world’s highest peak. Since then, JF has led expeditions of young students to all corners of the planet, from the North Pole to Antarctica. Now JF serves his community as a firefighter for the City of Ottawa and participates in several expeditions.
Ever since Jean-François Carrey was a young boy he wanted to climb Mount Everest. On May 18, 2006, not only did he fulfill his dreams, he also became the youngest Canadian to have climbed to the top of the world. JF’s passion for the Polar Regions, mountains and rivers extends back to his youth when he was a member of Scouts Canada. As a Scout, he developed some of the skills necessary to achieve his dream. These skills proved useful when, at the age of 17, JF was an apprentice guide for a wilderness adventure company, and guided one of Canada’s most extraordinary rivers, the Nahanni in the Northwest Territories.
His job as a guide enabled him to acquire many unique experiences. He led a number of expeditions down the Mountain and Snake river in the Northwest Territories/Yukon, and also traveled to Ellesmere Island and Baffin Island in Nunavut to trek and sea kayak.
JF guides leaders and youth to think like an adventurer. He inspires people from all over the world to embrace change. He speaks internationally on leadership and unveiling the perspective gained by leading expeditions in these immense and uncontrollable environments.
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