Liz McConaghy

Liz McConaghy is an RAF veteran who served as a decorated member of the infamous Chinook Crew of the Royal Air Force, for 17 years. At just 21, she was the youngest aircrew member to be deployed to Iraq and the only female in the Chinook Crew for the first four years of her service. Over the course of her military career, Liz was deployed twice to Iraq and ten times to Afghanistan, witnessing truly tragic things that left her struggling with mental health and feeling suicidal. Succeeding in overcoming her demons, Liz is now a highly sought-after motivational speaker who candidly speaks about her battle with mental health and shares inspirational anecdotes of her military career.

In 2001, Liz enlisted with the Royal Air Force and was deployed as a Chinook Crew member. She was elevated to Aircrew Instructor in 2010, where she taught at the RAF Odiham base. Liz also served as a member of the Medical Emergency Response Team, playing an instrumental role in saving hundreds of lives in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. During her deployment, Liz flew the Boeing CH-47 Chinook to complete daring rescue missions into war zones, serving as a lifeline for dangerously wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Repeatedly witnessing horrific events, Liz’s mental health began to deteriorate and culminated in an attempt to take her own life in 2020. The suicide attempt failed, and Liz woke up in the Basingstoke Intensive Care Unit, where she decided to turn her life around.

Translating her remarkable experiences in the Amazon best-selling book Chinook Crew ‘Chick’: Highs and Lows of Force Life from the Longest Serving Female RAF Chinook Crewmember, Liz vividly delves into her career in the RAF and shares the difficulties and life-changing experiences she endured. Inspiring others to learn from her experiences, Liz openly speaks about her mental health and well-being and the influence of charities such as PTSD Resolution and Help for Heroes for her recovery, encouraging others struggling with mental health to seek professional health.

Inspiring audiences with moving anecdotes of her search and rescue operations and subsequent battles with mental health, Liz is an exceedingly popular motivational speaker. Candidly speaking about her suicide attempt, she emphasises the importance of looking after mental health and urges audience members to seek professional help. Liz also takes audiences on her emotional journey of overcoming adversity and speaks about finding hope in the darkest of times, revealing the valuable tools she used to build a path to a new life. Book Liz McConaghy now for a truly inspirational motivational session.