Adaptive Trail Runner & Disability Advocate; Founder of Born to Adapt; Subject of On Running's "Trail Blader"
Zachary Friedley Biography
Zachary Friedley is a professional adaptive trail runner and disability advocate known for his contributions to inclusion in outdoor sports. Friedley was born missing his right leg above the knee and several fingers on his right hand. Using a prosthetic leg, he participated in baseball and wrestled for his high school team. After receiving his first running blade, he trained with adaptive track coaches in an effort to qualify for the Paralympics in the 100-meter dash and the long jump. Friedley later discovered trail running, which became a pivotal focus in his athletic career. At the Born to Run Festival in Los Olivos, California, he completed a 10-mile trail race without prior training, marking his longest trail run to date.
As a professional athlete, Friedley is among a small group of above-knee adaptive runners, often referred to as "trailbladers," competing at a high level with a prosthetic featuring a mechanical knee and carbon-fiber running blade. He has participated in the UTMB Mont-Blanc trail race, a 40K ultramarathon from Martigny-Combe, Switzerland, to Chamonix, France, recognized as one of the most competitive trail ultramarathons globally. Friedley is one of the first disabled Americans to compete in the Mont Blanc race series. His pursuits have also taken him to the summit of Cotopaxi in Ecuador, to ashrams in India, and to the Tarawera Ultramarathons in New Zealand. He is the subject of the On Running short film "Trail Blader" and is featured in Christopher McDougall's "Born to Run 2."
Friedley is the founder of Born to Adapt, a nonprofit organization focused on increasing inclusivity for disabled athletes in the trail running community. Through Born to Adapt events, he has brought together disabled and non-disabled communities at major trail races and running events worldwide. These events include races, workshops, and speaking engagements designed to educate communities and industry leaders on supporting adaptive athletes. A documentary film, also titled "Born to Adapt," explores the shared experiences of ultra-runners and adaptive athletes. Friedley has worked with On Running, other major brands, and race organizers at UTMB to develop adaptive athlete divisions and policies for major trail racing events.
Born to Adapt maintains a presence at events across the United States and internationally, including New Zealand and Italy. In partnership with UTMB North American leaders, the organization directed the first Para Trail Summit in Fruita, Colorado, at the Desert Rats by UTMB trail running festival, featuring races for adaptive athletes, speakers, and panel discussions to raise awareness of the adaptive athlete community. Friedley has also participated in a running clinic for the Paralympic team in Ghana through the Sports Equity Lab. As a keynote speaker, Friedley addresses topics of resilience, diversity, and inclusion within the running industry and beyond, sharing his experiences to encourage broader perspectives on what is possible in adaptive sports.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Zachary Friedley and other top speakers and celebrities.
Zachary Friedley Videos
-
How do I book Zachary Friedley to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Zachary Friedley for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Zachary Friedley, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Zachary Friedley or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Zachary Friedley
Speaking fees for Zachary Friedley, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Zachary Friedley are under $10,000 for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Zachary Friedley, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Zachary Friedley speak about?
Zachary Friedley is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Athlete, Disability, Diversity & Inclusion, Extreme Sports, Inspirational, Motivational, Overcoming Adversity, Running -
Where does Zachary Friedley travel from?
Zachary Friedley generally travels from Mendocino, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Zachary Friedley’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Zachary Friedley for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Zachary Friedley for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Zachary Friedley or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Zachary Friedley is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Zachary Friedley for your event is available upon request. Zachary Friedley generally travels from Mendocino, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Katy Sullivan, Amy Purdy, Vasu Sojitra, Chris Nikic and Daniel Cnossen. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Zachary Friedley for an upcoming live or virtual event.
This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.
All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.
If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.








