John Volanthen is a world record–holding British cave diver best known for his pivotal role in the 2018 Tham Luang Thailand cave rescue - one of the most extraordinary crisis-response missions in modern history. The first diver to locate and make contact with the missing youth soccer team, Volanthen helped turn the world’s attention toward the flooded caves of northern Thailand. His heroic efforts are chronicled in the National Geographic documentary The Rescue and dramatized in the acclaimed Hollywood film Thirteen Lives, in which Colin Farrell portrays Volanthen’s remarkable composure and courage under pressure.

Described by the British Cave Rescue Council as part of the “A Team” of diving rescues, Volanthen not only discovered the missing boys but also helped plan and execute the incredibly complex mission that brought them safely out, a two-and-a-half–kilometer journey through twisting, water-filled passageways that had stymied even elite special forces. His initial videoed contact with the team became a global symbol of hope.

A cave explorer since age 14, Volanthen has spent more than two decades pushing the boundaries of what is possible underground. Alongside longtime dive partner Rick Stanton, he has mapped some of the world’s most challenging cave systems and set multiple records, including the world’s longest cave penetration dive, more than 10 kilometers through Spain’s Pozo Azul system, and a British depth record at Wookey Hole.

A TIME magazine “Hero of the Year,” Volanthen is also an accomplished engineer who has spent 20 years designing and adapting specialized diving equipment to meet the extreme demands of cave exploration. His career is defined by meticulous preparation, inventive problem-solving, and the belief that extraordinary outcomes are driven not by luck, but by determination.

Having taken part in search, rescue, and recovery missions around the world, Volanthen has been awarded the George Medal for bravery and is one of only two people to receive Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals from the Royal Humane Society.

John Volanthen will bring take the Inspring Leadership audience inside the Tham Luang rescue with a gripping, first-hand narrative - revealing the mindset, teamwork, and resilience required to perform when the stakes are life and death, and how those same principles can help organisations to achieve their own bold goals.