About Steve

Professional Speaker

Steve Hooper: From Trauma to the Spotlight

Steve Hooper served nearly 20 years in the Royal Air Force as a Specialist Driver, completing multiple operational tours in Iraq and Northern Ireland. After being medically discharged in 2021 due to multiple mental health conditions, Steve refused to let his diagnosis define him.
He went on to compete in the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 and captained Team UK in Canada 2025, where he earned a silver medal in wheelchair rugby.
Now a professional speaker and specialist security professional, Steve uses his lived experience to challenge stigma, build resilience, and empower audiences to find strength in adversity. His talks blend raw honesty, military grit, and uplifting hope—leaving listeners moved, motivated, and ready to take action.

“Steve captivated a roomful of 100+ from the very start, with his inspirational, heartfelt, sometimes very funny and truly insightful talk, sharing his remarkable career, moments of adversity and how he overcame them, how he transformed from reluctant Team UK competitor to the strong, respected and loved Leader of Team UK.“

From RAF Veteran to Invictus Champion: A Journey of Resilience and Renewal

In 2002, I began my military career with the Royal Air Force as a Specialist Driver, taking on a wide range of high-stakes roles—from transporting personnel, aircraft, and explosives to instructing in aircraft servicing operations such as rotors-turning refuels, static refuels, and complex aircraft movements. I also trained others in tactical driving techniques across diverse terrains and conditions, both day and night.

My final posting was with an aircraft crash recovery squadron, a role that demanded precision, courage, and composure under pressure. Over the course of 19.5 years, I completed multiple operational tours, including Northern Ireland and two deployments to Iraq.

But after nearly two decades of service, the toll on my mental health became undeniable. I left the RAF in 2021, feeling like a shadow of the man I once was. For the sake of my family—and my own survival—I knew I needed a new mission.

That mission became the Invictus Games.

Today, I am a two-time Invictus Games competitor, a proud Team UK Captain, and a silver medallist. My journey from the depths of despair to standing tall on the international stage is one of grit, transformation, and hope.

If you’re looking for a speaker who can move hearts, challenge minds, and inspire action, I invite you to book me for your next event. Let me share how I came back from the brink—and why no challenge is too great when purpose leads the way.