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.
As captain of the England and GB women’s hockey teams for 13 years and an international player for 17 Kate was an integral part of the squad, unanimously voted in her by her teammates for her ability to lead by example, nurture talent and bring the best out of people. Her career started in 1999 and she reached the pinnacle of the game, amassing 3 Commonwealth Games medals as well as bronze at London 2012 and of course Olympic gold in Rio. Glory however did not always come easily – in London 2012 Kate’s jaw was broken in the first match, but her determination was on display as she returned after only 2 games to play with a plate in her jaw and a facial mask. In 2014 the team hit a new low with a 10th place finish at the Hockey World Cup when they had arrived as favourites.
Such experiences form the bedrock of Kate’s speaking, as she shares her personal experiences of leadership, team building, goal setting and high performance. Away from the field she also reflects on the importance of inclusive diversity. Having married her team mate Helen in 2013, Kate describes hockey as her ‘safe space’, a family which accepted her for who she was and whose only expectation was that she gave her best every day.
As a female leader who reached the pinnacle of her career she also speaks passionately about equality of opportunity for women and the need for flexibility in what a leader should look and sound like. Her own early attempts at leadership she readily admits were underwhelming, until she realised that she needed to find her own style, which was not necessarily a kind that she had seen before. In her words ‘You need to see it to be it’. In other words, the more diversity we see in leadership, the more women will have the confidence to think it is something that they can do even if they don’t fit a stereotypical mould.
With thought provoking content combined with a natural sense of humour and down to earth persona, Kate receives glowing feedback and has quickly established herself as one of the most in demand speakers around.
Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton has been a firefighter for eighteen years. She decides which of her colleagues rush into a burning building and how they confront the blaze. She makes the call to evacuate if she believes the options have been exhausted or that the situation has escalated beyond hope.
Taking us to the very heart of firefighting, she immerses us in this extraordinary world; from scenes of devastation and crisis, through triumphs of bravery, to the quieter moments when she questions herself. Revealing her own story for the very first time, she recounts her years spent sleeping rough and her passion for a career that allows her to rescue others as she was never rescued herself.
Duncan is a former Olympic swimming champion and is one of the worlds instantly recognisable athletes. Duncan was Captain of the GB swim team at the 1980 Olympic Games where he won gold in the 100 metres breaststroke and a bronze on the 4×100 metres medley relay.
This was merely the beginning for Duncan Goodhew who quickly, at the age of 23, adapted the lessons learnt in the pool to assist business teams to find inspiration and effective ways to overcome the obstacles to success. Inducted by IBM, he has worked with 100’s of leading businesses and organisations.
Duncan Goodhew’s business experience stretches form arranging large sponsorship to corporate fundraising and business introductions.
In his book, Sink or Swim, Duncan Goodhew draws on the events of his own life and the long and arduous grind of training for competitive swimming, where your skills will be judged on a performance which is over in less time than it’ll take you to read this paragraph.
He addresses such issues as how to get yourself motivated (as well as how to stay motivated) and, perhaps most important of all, that success is an entirely individual matter. This is a book which can be applied to home and family life as well as life in the office and addresses the issue of making sure you set your own criteria for achievement – rather than simply meeting the expectations of other people.
He is also the author of the motivational book “Fix Your Life Now.” Duncan’s vast experience in sport and personal experience of striving to be the best and the challenges one faces, along with his comforting and personable manner makes him an ideal speaker.ed the nature of success – and shows you how to achieve it.
An England international from the age of 21, James Haskell has enjoyed an impressive career on the rugby pitch. The flanker has featured for some of the biggest rugby clubs in the world, as well as making 77 caps at international level. James has pushed himself to the top throughout 16 years in the game. James moved to Northampton Saints in 2016, making them the sixth team he has played for. Prior to his move, he made a splash at several clubs.
After having represented England at all the youth levels, James’ efforts won him an international call-up and soon he was a key player in the England team. He made his international debut in the final game of the 2007 Six Nations, against Wales.
He was a member of the 2011 World Cup side which reached the Quarter Finals and again in the 2015 Rugby World Cup team. Alongside his international appearances, he has twice played for the British and Irish Lions, becoming the man of the series in the 3-0 series win over Australia.
The stories of James’ remarkable career in rugby continues to impress sporting and corporate audiences around the world. He is able to expertly speak on peak performance, teamwork, leadership, drive, sporting success and more.
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.
Sir David Hempleman-Adams MBE OBE is a leading British Adventurer. He is an accomplished mountaineer, having climbed the seven highest peaks of the seven continents, i.e. Everest (Nepal), Mt Vinson (Antarctica), Aconcagua (Argentina), Carstenz Pyramid (Indonesia), Elbrus (Russia) and Kilimanjaro (Tanzania).
Without his motivational and team building skills… Sir David Hempleman-Adams would be dead!
As a keynote speaker, David presents highly enjoyable and informative speeches which will inpsire you and your team.
From his experience gained in the workplace and from his vast adventures, David can deliver tailored presentations focusing on the synergy of team building and working towards goals either in the marketplace or on mountains.
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.
As a renowned speaker, Clive delivers thought provoking, engaging and entertaining keynotes tailored to the requirements of each organisation he works with. Carefully crafted to inspire, motivate and challenge, Clive’s presentations blend practical tools with inspiring video insights from his career as a businessman, athlete and coach acting as a storied backdrop.
Clive has established his reputation as a popular and respected commentator for both ITV Sport and Sky Sport’s rugby coverage and as a journalist within the Daily Mail’s award winning sports team. Clive is also a regular contributor to BBC Radio where he discusses performance and leadership with influential figures across sport and business.
Drawing upon his successful experience at the top of professional sport, Clive is now working across various businesses to support teams and organisations to improve both individual and collective performance.
From executive coaching and workshops to unique experiences and golf days, Clive and his team offer a range of services that allow businesses to engage with Clive in the pace and style befitting their culture, goals and strategy.
