Anyika Onuora made her Olympic debut in 2008 as part of the wider 4 x 100m relay squad but had to wait another long 4 years before making it on to the race track having narrowly missed out on final team selection in Beijing. At London 2012 Anyika competed in the Olympic stadium in both the 100m and 200m individual events. Three years later in 2015 Anyika made the decision to change race discipline to take on the longer, gruelling sprint endurance of 400 metres. This change proved to be a successful one for Anyika and just one year later at the Rio Olympics she received her Olympic Bronze medal along with her teammates in the 4×4 relay.
Leading up to 2016 Anyika enjoyed relay success at the World Championships, again picking up a Bronze whilst also winning relay Gold at the European championships and individual 400 metre bronze.
In October 2015 Anyika travelled to Nigeria and unfortunately contracted the disease Malaria. At a time when she should have been ramping up her winter training Anyika was, instead, extremely ill for several weeks. If her diagnosis had come just a few hours later the outcome could have been worse for her; a lot worse. She was told by her consultant that she was lucky to be alive. The time spent in hospital was extremely tough and there were days when Anyika wondered if she would make it out but after experiencing extreme fevers Anyika started to build her strength; quite literally step by step. She first learnt how to walk again then started to run and eventually got back to the training track. 10 months after contracting the disease Anyika was stood on the Olympic podium.
Anyika only told a couple of her GB squad team mates about her illness, she did not want to use it as any kind of weakness. In contrast her experience has taught her quite how much strength she does have.
Anyika’s story is one of perseverance, whether that is dealing with body confidence issues, fighting harder following non-selection or working hard to get back to fitness after a life-threatening illness. An eloquent and engaging speaker with a story that will inspire many to dig deep and understand that there is always more strength in our tank than we first think.
In November 2019 Anyika announced her retirement from athletics after a 20-year involvement in the sport.
Derek Redmond is an outstanding Olympic champion. Derek broke the British record in the 400m for the first time 1985 in a time of 44.82 seconds beating the 10-year-old mark set by David Jenkins. He then in 1987 reclaimed the record from Roger Black in 44.5 seconds and held it until it was finally broken in 1992 by a mere 0.03 100’s of a second.
As well as being a world record setter, Derek also won a number of competition and medals. He was Commonwealth & European Champion in 4 x 400m Relay in 1991, World silver medallist in 1987 and World Gold Medallist in the 4 x 400m Relay in 1991, setting yet another British European and Commonwealth record and also running the second fastest time ever recorded for the 4 x 400m.
Derek’s increasing career was halted by a serious injury. He endured no less than 13 operations on his Achilles tendons and knees which finally forced him to pull out of many major competitions.
Derek draws on his vast experiences as an international and Olympic sportsman to provide a fascinating and inspirational platform for his motivational speeches. In telling his story, Derek takes the audience on a emotional roller coaster, in giving away his secrets of success along with those to survive and succeed in a team.
Paralympic gold medalist and TV presenter Danny Crates is a highly sought after keynote speaker, having worked in Malaysia, Dubai and all over Europe, he was voted one of the top 5 speakers globally from a list of over 1300. His presentations leave audiences motivated and inspired to become high achievers, both personally and within business.
With Danny at the helm of your event you are guaranteed a smooth-running and engaging occasion. An experienced Master of Ceremonies, Danny is known for his ability to interact with his audience, all done with his charming Essex humour.Danny understands how stressful organising an event can be. Pre-event he will talk through your programme, working along side you to create a memorable and bespoke occasion for your audience. He reads through the scripts making sure he understands every detailed aspect, so his delivery is as per your vision. As an experienced live television broadcaster, Danny is comfortable using autocue and can instantly and seamlessly adapt his presentation to match any situation.
As an experienced speaker he is also able to offer an after-dinner style speech, giving your event that extra ‘wow’ factor and bringing to life any themes.
Danny is available for dinners, awards ceremonies, celebrations and conferences.
Steve Cram is a legend on the track, breaking records in the 1500m, 2000m and mile distances. He was winner of 6 Gold medals at the Commonwealth, European and World Championships, as well as winning Silver at the Los Angeles Olympics.
Since his days as a successful Olympian Steve has taken his career into journalism, he is the BBC’s chief athletics commentator, as well as writing extensively for the national press.
Steve’s knowledge and experience of the sporting landscape, from individual athletic success to over a decade in broadcasting, makes him an ideal role model and ambassador for any brand.Steve was also a key character in the bid for and the running of the London 2012 Olympics. His experiences make him an engaging and motivational speaker, suitable for any event.
Having set out to win three Olympic Gold Medals at the beginning of his career, Steve went on to win an incredible five Golds in five successive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000.
Since retiring The Steve Redgrave Fund forged its way beyond the £5million target that Steve set when launching the charity in 2001 and that total has continued to build since joining forces with Sport Relief.
In addition to maintaining a busy schedule as a motivational speaker, Steve is committed to ensuring the event provides a lasting legacy for sport in the future.
