Jo Hardy

Jo Hardy

Top-notch Veterinarian, Humanitarian, Adventurer and Motivational Speaker
Jo Hardy studied to become a vet at the Royal Veterinary College in England. After the most demanding 5 years of her life, she graduated with honours in 2014. However, her last year in vet school was far from normal. Day in, day out, she had a film crew with her filming the highs and lows she was experiencing, as well as the heart-warming animal cases that came and went from her life, for BBCs Young Vets series. In August 2014, the 10-part series was aired on television and was met with a fantastic response from the media, television critics and the millions of viewers who tuned in.

Following on from the show, Jo pursued her love for travel, combining it with her newly found vet skills to help those most in need. Her travels took her into the heart of the townships in South Africa, into the inaccessible wilderness in Uganda, to the destitute city outskirts in Morocco, and the impoverished rural regions in Gambia. Life was not as she knew it in the UK, and she experienced many situations that will stay with her for life, including having to pin down a hyena, take muddy cold water washes under a bucket shower, tackling to get rabies antidotes 200 miles across Gambia, trying to fit a horse into the boot of a pick-up truck, and having to just get on with treating and operating on animals in the worst possible conditions with no suitable equipment or drugs.

Jo went on to publish two books on her experiences with Harper Collins. Tales from a Young Vet was first published in November 2015, detailing her behind the scenes experiences of being filmed for a prominent BBC documentary, whilst trying to do well at the infamously gruelling Veterinary Medicine degree. Tales from a Wild Vet was then published in April 2016, and gives readers an insight into life as a new graduate vet, as well as the arduous and onerous lives of the many people and animals she met in the African countries where she worked.

Upon returning from her travels, Jo was drawn to South Africa and worked as a wildlife vet to big African animals alongside showcasing her stories with after dinner and motivational speaking. She is entertaining, engaging and professional, and enjoys regaling audiences with her heart-warming and heart-stopping experiences. She is also a great supporter of humanitarian charities, including World In Need and SPANA, and is constantly seeking new ways of helping people
through helping their animals.
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Keynotes

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Using Skills for a Purpose

As a new veterinarian, Jo conveyed her new acquired skills into general UK practice. There are so many people in the world relying on their animals, with no access to a vet and little knowledge on diseases, thus the waste would be unimaginable otherwise. This is a story of Jo's adventure across many African countries, meeting people of all different cultures, working with various charities, teaching about animals, treating a vast range of species and generally diving in, at the deep end. Animal, travel or adventure related, Jo's talks will hopefully inspire the audience to step out of their comfort zone and think deeper about what they could use their skills for.
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Faith in a Medical Profession

Many people find it unusual that Jo can follow her Christian faith, yet work in a scientific medical profession. This talk delves into how the two worlds are not contrasting, but in fact complimentary. It also discusses Jo's time, living with a Ugandan preacher, and how her faith was tested deep into my veterinary adventures.
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Black Market Secrets

Spending a great deal of time in South Africa working with wildlife, has given Jo first hand experience of the devastating affect the wildlife trade has on rhino poaching numbers. But the illegal wildlife trade doesn't stop at rhino horns; ivory, pangolins, tiger skins, and turtle parts are all highly sought after, just to name a few. This talk is a factual based talk about the atrocities which go on in the black market to trade these animals, as well as talk about possible solutions to tackle the threats.
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Just an Ordinary Person in an Extraordinary Situation

Growing up, Jo was shy and introverted and certainly not the sort of person to be in the limelight, but when she was faced with an opportunity to make an appearance on a BBC TV show, it seemed like a missed chance if she was to pass it by. This talk is a story about Jo's journey from being a normal veterinary student in the shadows, to being thrown into the forefront of BBC's Young Vets documentary, writing two books, and making various public entrances.

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