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Derek Redmond
Derek Redmond, an emblem of resilience and determination, is renowned for his unforgettable moment in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Despite a devastating hamstring injury in the 400m semi-final, Derek, assisted by his father, completed the race, creating an iconic Olympic scene. Derek's speeches are not just a narrative of his athletic career; they are a guide to achieving success through goal setting, team building, and overcoming life's unexpected hurdles.
About Derek Redmond
In the Barcelona Olympics, Derek’s hamstring snapped in the semi-final of the men’s 400 metres but Derek hobbled over the finish line with the help of his father. This inspirational moment has been viewed millions of times since and his resilience has made him a global icon and a symbol of determination.
After years of suffering the extreme highs and lows of his athletics career, Derek draws on his vast experiences as an international sportsman to provide a fascinating and inspirational platform for his motivational speeches. In telling his story, Derek takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride of emotions but also explains the secrets of his success both as an individual and within a team.
First rising to prominence in 1985 when he broke the 400m British record achieving a time of 44.82 seconds, 12 months later he was selected in the 4x400m relay team for the European Championships in Stuttgart. Great Britain won gold in what was a sure sign of things to come. A year later they won a silver medal at the World Championships in Rome. By the time the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo arrived Derek had established himself as one of Britain’s best athletes. Alongside Kriss Akabusi, John Regis and Roger Black he then stunned the sporting world as Britain triumphed over the favourites USA to win gold. Their run remains the second fastest 4x400m run in history.
In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics Derek represented his country in the 400m individual race – a race which brought about one of the most inspirational scenes in Olympic history. Derek went into the race amongst the favourites but as he passed the 250m mark he tore his hamstring. Determined to finish the race he hobbled to the finish line with the help of his father as a 65,000-strong crowd cheered him on. This incident has since been voted one of the Olympics’ most inspirational moments by US network NBC and even referenced by Barack Obama in a presidential speech.
Derek explains the 5 fundamental principles of getting the best performance, whether it’s in sport or business. These include goal setting, team building and overcoming unexpected hurdles in life, an area in which Derek is well experienced. In relaying this emotional story of success and heartbreak Derek illustrates the dedication needed in order to succeed both personally and as a team to reach your goals.
“Derek Redmond bravely making it through with little help, moments of euphoria after years of hard work. Moments when the human spirit triumphs over injury that should have been impossible to overcome.”
-President Barack Obama
To book Derek Redmond contact The Speakers Agency on +44(0)1332 810481 or email enquiries@thespeakersagency.com
Diversity and Inclusion
As a prominent Black athlete, Derek Redmond experienced significant racism throughout his career. At events, he shares his powerful story to educate audiences, teaching them the importance of inclusive, accepting workplaces. Diversity has the potential to spark innovation and nurture high-performance teamwork, reflecting the importance of Derek’s speaking topic.
Dealing with Change
In the world of sport, change can come thick and fast. One second you are the World Champion, the next your title has been taken and you are faced with another uphill battle to the top. Derek Redmond uses this experience of change management to impart such valuable life lessons at events. Attendees come away motivated to raise the bar in their own lives.
Resilience
From goal-setting to dealing with failure, Derek Redmond’s speaking topics include a wealth of strategies for mental resilience. Having stared failure in the face at the 1992 Olympic Games, when Derek suffered a career-ending injury, he learned the importance of adaption and self-motivation. At events, audiences learn how Derek transitioned from sport to business, thanks to his mental resilience.
High-Performance Teams
Derek Redmond’s knowledge of high-performance teamwork stems from his 1991 victory over the formidable American team, at the World Championships. The British team’s performance reflected Derek’s communication skills, a key factor of his speaking topic. At events, he uses this story to inspire unity in workplace teams, improving performance and wellbeing.
Motivation and Inspiration
Derek Redmond believes that sport is a business, and business is a sport. They are intrinsically linked, so the skills of one can be translated to the other. As an athlete turned businessman, Derek uses his knowledge of maximising success to benefit corporate audiences, teaching them the secrets of ‘going for gold’.
Testimonials
"Derek was absolutely amazing! He inspired our whole team with his ambition and determination to never give up. He is a fantastic storyteller - we were all on the edge of our seats when he shared footage from the 1992 games. The content was relevant and well delivered. Thank you so much for being a part of our virtual off-site!"
Snapchat
"Derek was an absolute delight! So professional, helpful and entertaining- honestly, I could not believe how pleasant he was to work with. Sometimes it feels as if the speaker is just there to do the slot and not a second more but that was definitely not the case with Derek. He was a wonderful guest, speaker and host. Highly, highly recommend."
Media Nett
"Derek went down very well. He was enthusiastic and his passion infectious. People really connected with his story and I had a couple of people message me afterwards to thank us for setting it up."
TT Electronics
"The feedback from our event has been hugely positive and Derek was very well received by all who attended. Some verbatim feedback included: I thought Derek Redmond was really interesting, Derek's session was fantastic, Derek was very uplifting and enjoyable to listen to and Derek's session was excellent and very motivational."
Fidelity International
"The event went really well. Derek's keynote was thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable. Feedback received has been really positive."
The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership
"The event on the 15th of November went great! After sending out a feedback form to the audience, Derek's session was by far the most popular part of the day. He really motivated the crowd and his content was perfect for the audience and on theme to the conference too."
Skanska
"It went really well thank you and we've had some great feedback from those who attended, including our Senior Partner. Derek was very engaging and his talk was thought-provoking."
Simmons & Simmons LLP
"I was extremely happy with Derek's speech and overall was great to work with. Everyone really enjoyed it and found it very inspirational. Derek managed to tailor his speech to be very relevant and aligned with our business strategy and the mindset I wanted everyone to leave with - it was absolutely amazing. Please extend feedback to Derek, as I really enjoyed meeting him and working with him. I am now officially a big fan of his. Would definitely consider booking him again as I liked his personality and how he very quickly could adapt and make his story relevant to the context."
Kindred Group Plc
