We are delighted that Expedition Leader, Adventurer, Professional Kayaker, Environment Advocate & Author, Sal Montgomery, has joined the BRIT Ambassador family. Sal is championing the BRIT Challenge to support and improve young adult mental health and fitness throughout the UK.
Sal is an Expedition Leader for BBC/UKTV Documentaries, a Professional Kayaker and Adventurer, Environment Advocate, Writer and Public Speaker, and an Official Scout Adventure Ambassador.
A keen adventurer in all forms, when Sal’s not paddling through committing canyons or off big waterfalls, she can be found in the mountains, on the sea, or in a quaint coffee shop scribbling away in travel journals. As well as her personal blog, Sal writes for numerous magazines and websites, Rough Guides travel books and has recently been involved in a series of television documentaries for the BBC and Dave Channel, called Expedition with Steve Backshall. Sal is becoming well-known for her motivational adventure talks across the UK and further afield.
“As a former student, through my time spent delivering talks to universities, and as a Scout Ambassador, I have become acutely aware that many young adults and students are struggling with mental health difficulties in their lives. It’s vital that we do all we can to destigmatise mental health and provide opportunities to improve young adult and student mental health, fitness and wellbeing.
The British Inspiration Trust’s annual BRIT Challenge is an inspiring feel-good February fundraiser that is enabling students and staff of all abilities to take part wherever they are (at home or on campus) and feel connected and part of a team. Many of the best adventures happen close to home and this is a great opportunity for students and staff at every university, college and specialist college to explore the outdoors and add the distance they cover to their team’s 2,022 mile target. Teams can cover the 2,022 mile distance by either hand-cycling, cycling, wheelchair pushing, swimming, walking, jogging, running, rowing or paddling (canoeing, kayaking or paddle-boarding).
I am delighted to be part of the BRIT Ambassador family to support and improve young adult mental health and hope fellow Explorers and Adventurers will join me as BRIT Ambassadors and champion the BRIT Challenge. Along with Olympians, Paralympians and sports personalities, together we can encourage our chosen universities and colleges to take on the BRIT Challenge, destigmatise mental health and champion equality, diversity and inclusion.
I would be thrilled to encourage and support students and staff at Keele University as they complete their BRIT Challenge and also hope I can help to inspire every university and college in the South West to enter teams. I wish every team the best of luck with their distance and fundraising efforts.”
Sal Montgomery
Expedition Leader, Adventurer, Professional Kayaker, Environment Advocate & Author
Sal graduated from Keele University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiotherapy.
Since 2018, Sal has been an Expedition Leader for the “Expeditions with Steve Backshall” Documentary Series. This included guiding the team down Bhutan’s last unexplored river that was broadcast on the BBC, UKTV and over 300 channels internationally.
Since 2018, Sal has been an Expedition Leader with Camps International and a Professional Whitewater Kayaker with Pyranha Mouldings.
Sal is a freelance writer, documenting her world first expeditions, challenging adventures, solo-travel around the world, environmental projects and motivational stories. She has written for a variety of publications, including The Geographical Magazine, The Geographer, Sidetracked Magazine, BASE, Intrepid, The Paddler and Kayak Session Magazine.
In 2020, Sal was appointed as an Official Scout Adventure Ambassador with UK Scouting.
In 2021, Sal became a speaker for the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) Inspiring People. Amongst her many speaking engagements, Sal is an Adventure Speaker at the Kendal Mountain Festival where she has been interviewed as a standalone adventurer and with Steve Backshall.
Sal Founded the Ocean8Challenge in 2021; a World Ocean Day event that took place between 1st and 8th June 2021. The challenge was comprised of 8 Ocean Swims and 8 Beach Cleans over 8 days to celebrate and promote Ocean Health.
During the pandemic, Sal returned to the NHS as a Physiotherapist and Team Leader.
Sal has recently returned to South America to write and kayak.
For more information on Sal, please visit her website.
You can follow Sal on Instagram.