Meet Kate Markland

The Adversity to Agency Expert

My Journey of Turning Challenges into Triumphs

I’m Kate Markland, and my life’s work is transforming adversity into agency through the StoryQuest Framework™. As a young elite rower, I forged resilience in the grueling GB trials, pushing my limits with every stroke. That grit fueled my 20-year career as a physiotherapist, where I founded four award-winning clinics, transforming 5,000+ lives with patient-centered care and innovations like my ACL injury prevention program, presented to the British Association of Knee Surgeons (2014).

But my story took a deeper turn when I faced personal adversity.

But my deepest transformation came through personal adversity. Inspired by my son and our shared challenges, I co-authored The Adventures of Gabriel, a bestselling book series that birthed the StoryQuest Framework™. A neuroscience-backed methodology to empower through storytelling.

I’ve applied StoryQuest to reduce burnout in call centers with the Innovators Wheel and to empower disengaged students in Bradford schools.

Featured on BBC Radio, Yorkshire Post, MSN, Yahoo News, and in my book From Adversity to Agency (2025), my insights drive my mission to help leaders turn any crisis into opportunity.

What I Do

I empower leaders, executives, and teams with the StoryQuest Framework™ to:

Lead Through Crisis: Build confidence to navigate any challenge.
Inspire with Storytelling: Craft narratives to motivate and unite teams.
Drive Transformation: Create a roadmap for personal and organizational impact.

Why Trust Kate?

Proven Impact: Boost student engagement (Bradford, 202).
Innovation Leader: Award-winning owner of four physiotherapy clinics; presented ACL program (British Association of Knee Surgeons, 2014); Created workplace wellbeing programs and the Innovators Wheel, reducing burnout.
Trusted Voice: Featured on BBC Radio, Yorkshire Post, From Adversity to Agency (2024). Hosted The Biology of Business podcast (94 episodes), informing StoryQuest™.
Testimonial: “Pupils felt empowered and that they could use their own voice.” – Claire Light : Quality of Education Leader

Explore my-storyquest.com and theadventuresofgabriel.com.

Previous Collaborations

My Mission

Every leader faces adversity. My mission is to equip you with the StoryQuest Framework™ to turn any challenge into agency, no matter the domain.

Explore StoryQuest in education at my-storyquest.com and The Adventures of Gabriel at theadventuresofgabriel.com.

Start Your StoryQuest Journey

Ready to transform your challenges into opportunities?

Book a Keynote: Bring the StoryQuest Framework™ to your organization.
Join a Workshop: Experience transformative leadership training.
Schedule a Free Clarity Call: Get personalised guidance to unlock your agency.

Book Kate to Inspire Your Team

Ready to inspire your audience with StoryQuest™? Book a free 30-minute Clarity Call.