Ilma Vallée

What I Speak On

I speak about mental fitness, courage, purpose, passion, and play and what it takes to build a life that feels fully lived.

Drawing from my experience as an immigrant, Air Force veteran, combat and airline pilot, mountaineer, adventure athlete, and storyteller, I share lessons from a life built by repeatedly stepping into the unknown.

My Talks Explore

MENTAL FITNESS
Building the mindset to navigate fear, uncertainty, and adversity.

COURAGE & DISCOMFORT
Taking action before you feel ready and using discomfort as a catalyst for growth.

PURPOSE & PASSION
Reconnecting with what matters and making space for the things that light you up.

PLAY
Bringing curiosity, creativity, fun, and adventure back into everyday life and work.

What Your Audience Takes Away

A shift in perspective. Practical tools. Small changes they can actually make.

Audiences leave inspired to:

  • Navigate fear and uncertainty with greater confidence

  • Make simple micro-changes in their everyday lives and work

  • Reconnect with purpose, passion, and play

  • Take the next step, even before they feel ready

Through storytelling, humor, and practical mental fitness tools, I challenge audiences to stop playing small and start living more fully (:

motivational speaker, Seattle WA, military veteran, female pilot, badass women

Media

Pathway to Wings 🎧
Bear Encounter ‼️
Worth Repeating 🎧
The Science Writer 📰
San Antonio Magazine 📰
Boston Bombing ‼️
AviNation 📰
Black Box Recordings 🎧
Aviation for Women 📰
Beyond the Rock 🎧
Go Find Out 🎧
female pilot
A woman motivational and inpirational speaking into a microphone on stage with Texas Public Radio signage in the background.
key note speaker, outdoor women, adventurer, positivity, veteran, air force pilot, female pilot, motivation
U.S. Air Force officer in uniform speaking at a press conference, holding a microphone in her right hand. The nameplate in front of her reads "Capt. Ilma Vallee, Flight Cmdr 558th Flying Training Squadron, U.S. Air Force."
A collection of aviation-related magazines and newspapers spread out on a surface, featuring covers and articles about aviation, pilots, and travel destinations. Notable publications include 'Aviation for Women,' 'AviNation,' and a San Antonio travel
A group of personnel in a dining hall, many wearing gray shirts with reflective suspenders, listen to a woman in a military uniform who is holding a microphone. Red water bottles and jackets are on the tables.

Get in touch.

Reach out if you’d like me to bring mental fitness, purpose, and play to your organization or community. I’d love to help people move beyond stagnant routines, make small shifts, and live more fully.

Let’s chat (: