Pete Lauder is a highly respected motivational speaker, RAF Veteran, and disability advocate. His story embodies resilience, service, and the power of transformation through adversity. With a distinguished 23-year career in the Royal Air Force, followed by his current role supporting mental health services within the NHS East of England Provider Collaborative, Pete brings a wealth of lived experience and insight that deeply resonates with audiences from all walks of life.
Joining the RAF at 18, he began his journey in the communications area, soon pivoting into Photographic Interpretation where he supported global operations including Kosovo during the Balkans conflict, Kuwait during the no-fly zone enforcement, Iraq under Operation TELIC, and Afghanistan’s Operation HERRICK. His expertise led to numerous postings across the UK, culminating at RAF Wyton - home of British Intelligence - where he became an instructor in intelligence-gathering specialties and imagery analysis. Pete earned various teaching awards and made history as the first foreign national allowed into the U.S. Aerial Unmanned Vehicle (AUV) programme at Langley AFB, work that earned him a commendation in the Queen’s New Year Honours List.
Medically discharged from the RAF, Pete faced a life-changing challenge with an undiagnosed hip injury of Necro Femur and severe fractures. He underwent a full hip replacement, leaving him with further physical impairments and nerve damage. However, after a battle with mental health, Pete redefined his life through adaptive sport. He founded the first RAF Adaptive Sports Club in 2019, and later the first disability sports club in Norfolk, open to all. He also established King's Lynn's first wheelchair rugby league team in 2024. As an athlete, Pete has represented the UK in the 2017 Warrior Games, the 2022 Veterans Games in Israel (winning silver and bronze in swimming), and played for Scotland at the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup. He won bronze at the British Rowing Indoor Championships and silver at the 2025 Invictus Games for Wheelchair Rugby.
As a motivational speaker, Pete uses his experience to discuss the impact of life-altering situations on mental health, empowering others by proving that setbacks can be springboards for new sources of enjoyment, success, and purpose. He enlightens audiences to the resilience he learned to develop, his journey to better his mental wellbeing, and the benefits of finding a community to support oneself after military discharge. Pete stresses the importance of sharing emotional struggles and connecting with like-minded people.
