{{short description|English life coach & author (born 1970)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Curtis Rivers | image = Curtist Rivers 2024.png | caption = Rivers in 2024 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1970|3|15}} | occupation = Life coach, author, speaker | notable_works = ''The Fearless Path'' (2017) | spouse = Lucy Rivers (m. 2019) | website ={{URL|CurtisRivers.com}} }} '''Curtis Rivers''' (born 15 March 1970) is an English life coach, author,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Rivers |first1=Curtis |url=https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/The-Fearless-Path/Curtis-Rivers/9781844097326 |title=The Fearless Path |date=10 October 2017 |publisher=Inner Traditions/Bear |isbn=978-1-84409-732-6 |language=en}}</ref> speaker,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Curtis Rivers – DBA speakers |url=http://www.dbaspeakers.com/curtis-rivers/ |access-date=2020-01-20 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Curtis Rivers - How to Get from Where You Are Now to Exactly Where You Want to be – Lancaster Entrepreneurs Society |url=http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/events/27689/ |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20150217014423/http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/events/27689/ |archivedate=17 February 2015 |accessdate=3 January 2015}}</ref> and former movie stuntman.<ref name="SKY">{{cite web |url=http://news.sky.com/story/97321/britons-bungee-world-best |title=Briton's Bungee World Best |website=news.sky.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030045/http://news.sky.com/story/97321/britons-bungee-world-best |archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref>

Rivers is a two-time Guinness World Record holder and worked in film and television as a stunt performer and stunt coordinator for over three decades.<ref name="SKY" /><ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{Cite news |date=9 May 2002 |title=Bungee man's record jump |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/1977778.stm}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About Curtis |url=http://www.curtisrivers.com/aboutcurtis.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160222101250/http://curtisrivers.com/aboutcurtis.html |archive-date=22 February 2016 |access-date=22 February 2015}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==

Curtis Rivers was born on 15 March 1970 in Guisborough, North Yorkshire. He attended Ormesby Comprehensive School (now known as Outwood Academy Ormesby), graduating in 1986.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://oc.mymovies.dk/Person/5c17fc8e-377f-42a6-88d8-35488baa77d6 |access-date=2025-07-01 |website=oc.mymovies.dk}}</ref>

In 1993, he relocated to Nottingham to pursue acting to obtain an Equity card through the British Actors’ Equity Association.

He qualified as a member of the British Stunt Register in 1996.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=14 January 2002 |title='Thrilly' undies in for high jump |url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8033249.print/}}</ref>

==Career==

===Movie Stuntman===

Rivers achieved provisional Actors Equity membership in 1993, and became a full member of the actors union in 1995, following his role as ‘DC Galley’ in the hit TV series ‘The Chief’, opposite Martin Shaw.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Curtis Rivers |url=https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/authors/Curtis-Rivers/141409794 |access-date=2025-07-01 |website=Simon & Schuster |language=en}}</ref>

He was accepted onto The British Stunt Register a year later in 1996, and went on to perform stunts in films such as James Bond, ''Fury'', ''Thor: The Dark World'', ''Captain America: The First Avenger'', ''Snow White and the Huntsman'', ''Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows'', ''Robin Hood'', ''The Sands of Time'', ''The Wolfman'', ''St Trinian's'' / ''St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold'', ''National Treasure: Book of Secrets'' and ''The Da Vinci Code''.

In movies, Rivers has been a stunt double for Christopher Lee, James Caviezel, Rupert Everett, Mark Strong, Hugo Weaving, Jim Broadbent, Matthew MacFadyen, Patrick Bergin, Martin Kemp, Jimmy Nail, Graham McTavish, and Sam Douglas.

In television, he has been a stunt double for Martin Clunes, Trevor Eve, Stephen Tompkinson, Malcolm Sinclair, James Purefoy, Charlie Cox, Tim Dutton, Nick Brimble, Peter Marinker, and Mark Charnock.

He also doubled for John Barrowman for the first 3 seasons of ''Torchwood'', as well as in ''Doctor Who'', falling backward {{convert|140|ft}} from the British Gas Building in Cardiff for the first episode of ''Torchwood'''s second season – "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang".

He has also performed stunts in the hit HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', in which he received the 2015 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series.

As well as working as a stunt coordinator, Rivers also worked as a Second Unit Director.

===Holistic Life Coach=== Rivers began coaching at the age of 19, when he worked with the Teesside University Fencing Team. Over the course of his career in film and television, he also coached a wide variety of actors and actresses.

In 2010, he expanded into life coaching, offering guidance to individuals outside the entertainment industry while continuing his work as a stunt performer. Around this time, he also began public speaking, initially through invitations from former teachers to speak at local schools.

He trained in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), receiving a diploma and becoming a licensed NLP Practitioner in 2012. In 2013, he published his first book, Seven Paths to Freedom. He later undertook additional training in areas such as Emotional Freedom Technique and Soul Transformation Therapy.

In 2024, Rivers stepped back from stunt work to establish Curtis Rivers Coaching as a full-time practice, focusing on personal development and helping individuals explore purpose and direction in their lives.

==Selected publications ==

He is the author of two books – ''Seven Paths to Freedom''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sevenpathstofreedom.co.uk/ |title=Seven Paths to Freedom Advertising Page |access-date=6 July 2022 |archive-date=2 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202200828/http://sevenpathstofreedom.co.uk/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> and ''The Fearless Path''.<ref>{{Cite book|isbn=978-1844097326|title=The Fearless Path: What a Movie Stuntman's Spiritual Awakening Can Teach You about Success|last=Rivers|first=Curtis|date=10 October 2017|publisher=Inner Traditions/Bear }}</ref>

Both works are self-help books, written to create a positive mindset in their readers.<ref name="curtisrivers.co.uk">{{Cite web|url=http://www.curtisrivers.co.uk/the-book|title=Curtis Rivers – Motivational and Inspirational Keynote Speaker|website=curtisrivers|language=en|access-date=2020-01-20}}</ref> Each book received 100% five-star reviews, with ''The Fearless Path'' becoming an Amazon Bestseller in the Guru Chart in December 2017.<ref name="curtisrivers.co.uk" /> ''The Fearless Path'' went on to receive numerous literary awards, such as 'Body Mind Spirit Book Awards' (1st place) in April 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bmsbookawards.com/2nd-annual-bms-winners-and-finalists.htm|title=Body, Mind, Spirit Book Awards|website=www.bmsbookawards.com|access-date=2020-01-20|archive-date=1 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801034450/http://www.bmsbookawards.com/2nd-annual-bms-winners-and-finalists.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> the 'Readers Favourite Award's in November 2018, and the 'International Publishing Awards' (2 x Gold Medal Winner in both the Personal Growth category and the Body / Mind / Spirit category) in September 2018,<ref>{{Cite web |title=2018 Book Award Contest Winners |url=https://www.readersfavorite.com/2018-award-contest-winners.htm |access-date=2020-01-20 |website=Readers' Favorite |language=en}}</ref> which he received in Miami, Florida."

==Awards and world records==

===Guinness world records===

=== Longest Parachute Jump === On 14 February 2002, Rivers set a Guinness World Record for the longest parachute jump. He ascended in a hot-air balloon from Pozoblanco, Spain, and immediately deployed his parachute upon jumping. He remained airborne for 45 minutes, surpassing the previous record by five minutes.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2002-05-09 |title=Bungee man's record jump |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/1977778.stm |access-date=2025-07-01 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Speaking and Media – Biography |url=http://www.curtisrivers.com/biog.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403005119/http://www.curtisrivers.com/biog.html |archive-date=3 April 2013 |access-date=22 February 2015}}</ref>

===Highest Bungee Jump=== On 5 May 2002, he completed a bungee jump from a hot-air balloon at 15,200 feet above Puertollano, Spain, setting a second Guinness World Record.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2002-04-25 |title=Parachutist takes freezer test |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/1950779.stm |access-date=2025-07-01 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Highest bungee jump |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/highest-bungee-jump}}</ref>

Both records required the use of thermal clothing due to the sub-zero temperatures at altitude.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">[http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/local/latest-local-news/life-in-the-freezer-for-balloonists-1-529961 Unknown]{{Dead link|date=February 2022|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

===Screen Actors Guild Awards=== *2011: Nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture for Robin Hood.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Curtis Rivers – Awards |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0729519/awards/ |access-date=2025-07-01 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref> *2015: Received the award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series for Game of Thrones.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stunt Performers from "Unbroken" and "Game of Thrones" are Honored by SAG-AFTRA {{!}} Screen Actors Guild Awards |url=https://www.sagawards.org/media/news/releases/stunt-performers-unbroken-and-game-thrones-are-honored-sag-aftra?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-07-01 |website=www.sagawards.org}}</ref>

===Book award===

*April 2018: Gold Medal – The Fearless Path, Body, Mind, Spirit Book Awards (Beverly Hills, California). *September 2018: First place (Personal Growth) – The Fearless Path, International Publisher Awards (Miami, Florida). *September 2018: First place (Mind, Body & Spirit) – The Fearless Path, International Publisher Awards (Miami, Florida). *November 2018: 5 Star Medal Winner (Non-Fiction – Self Help) – The Fearless Path, Readers Favorite (Louisville, Kentucky).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-04-22 |title=Book review of The Fearless Path |url=https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-fearless-path |access-date=2025-07-02 |website=Readers' Favorite |language=en}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rivers, Curtis}} Category:English stunt performers Category:Living people Category:1970 births Category:English male film actors Category:English male television actors Category:English motivational speakers Category:English motivational writers Category:Bungee jumpers