Kirsty Redford's Firewalk Events: Walking Through Fear to Empowerment
In the world of event management, few experiences are as strikingly unique as those offered by Firewalk Events, a company founded by Kirsty Redford. Specializing in transformative events like firewalking, Firewalk Events combines the thrill of physical challenge with deep personal growth, proving that overcoming fear and self-imposed limits can ignite profound change.
Establishing Firewalk Events began at a Tony Robbins seminar. It was there that she first encountered firewalking—a practice where participants walk barefoot over hot coals. The experience left a lasting impression, prompting Kirsty to delve deeper into the practice. She researched firewalking instructors in the UK, trained with one, and ultimately decided to create her own company. Kirsty describes her events as “empowering and transformative” and details they are designed to help people overcome fears, build mental resilience and achieve personal and professional goals.
Kirsty’s background in NLP (neuro linguistic programming) is integrated into her events. NLP is a way of changing someone’s thoughts and behaviours to help achieve desired outcomes for them. Kirsty explains “I actually teach people how to use their internal language they’ve got to get them to walk over the fire or broken glass - depending on the event.” Firewalking serves as a powerful metaphor for overcoming limiting beliefs and pushing beyond self-imposed boundaries. “We’re all at different levels with our mental health and resilience and I think we encompass all of that. There’s something for everyone and that’s really important. We had a lady who was 92 walk over fire”.
One of her favourite parts of the job is seeing the change from being so nervous beforehand to so happy and accomplished afterwards. “People are cheering, laughing, taking pictures. It’s a big transformation”.
She’s done events up in Edinburgh and all the way down in Devon and even overseas in the Isle of Wight for a charity event with Mountbatten Hospice that raised £5,000!
Balancing her personal life and running a business, Kirsty shares her approach to time management. She organizes her day into chunks to ensure she accomplishes everything. Home schooling her son demands a significant portion of her time, but she strives to maintain flexibility in her schedule trying not to be overly strict. Kirsty believes “Every little hurdle makes you stronger in business… You’ve got to keep focus, keep doing what you’re doing, little steps will get you there”.
One of the most memorable moments for Kirsty is witnessing amputees walk over the fire, showcasing incredible courage and resilience. At a festival in Devon, a blind man also took part, leaving a lasting impression on everyone involved. Another unforgettable experience for Kirsty was on her 30th birthday, marking the first event she organized on her own. “It was a charity event at a pub and some drunk men walked out. You can’t be drunk to go over the fire and one of them was in a mankini with everything hanging out… It was definitely memorable,” she recalls.
Each event kicks off with an in-depth briefing session lasting between 30 minutes to an hour. This essential preparation helps participants understand the process and mentally prepare for the challenge ahead. True to her word, Kirsty always demonstrates the fire walk first. “I always say I’ll do it first as I don’t expect someone to do something I haven’t”. Not everyone feels ready after the initial briefing and that’s perfectly okay. Kirsty and her team offer additional guidance to ensure each individual feels comfortable and prepared. The focus is on readiness and personal empowerment.
One of the biggest lessons Kirsty has learnt whilst running her business is that you have to focus on one thing at once. “My brain goes all different ways and I want everything now. I had to learn that things take time and it’s a gradual process”
Talking about the future Kirsty shares “One of our new events is mini golf. So we’re going to get a team in Devon and a team in London at the same time as I’m quite good at stretching my arms but not that far”. In the pipeline is purchasing land to do some retreats and a mobile coffee bar to go with their outdoor cinemas next year to accompany more business events.
Find out more about Firewalk Events here https://firewalkevents.co.uk and catch up with them on social media @firewalk_events on Instagram and https://www.facebook.com/firewalkevents
