Few events in the world encapsulate the very essence of inspiration quite like the Paralympic Games. All the individuals who take part in the quadrennial competition have fought against adversity throughout their lives and yet they never gave up their dream of representing their country at the highest level.
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Learn more about the top Paralympic speakers available to book for your corporate conference or public event from the Champions Olympic Speakers Agency. These outstanding speakers are guaranteed to captivate audiences of all industries and ages, thanks to their relatable stories of perseverance in the face of adversity.
Richard Whitehead is a world-record-setting athlete and Gold medal-winning Paralympian. As a double amputee, he has faced significant challenges in his life but has approached them all with self-belief and determination. Richard did not just set the world record at the Chicago Marathon; he later broke his own record in a feat of physical and mental resilience.
At the Paralympics, Richard won Gold at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and 2012 London Olympic Games, as well as Silver in 2016 and 2020, at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. He is a sprint athlete, a sport that requires extensive training and preparation.
As a Paralympic speaker, Richard often reflects on the challenges he faced throughout his athletic career, including being denied entry to the London 2012 Marathon. Audiences come away empowered to tackle the hurdles in their lives that are holding them back, thus is the power of a Paralympic speaker.
Regarded as one of the world’s most successful sprint tandem sighted pilots, Barney Storey is famed for his calculating eye and winning mindset. At the 2012 London Paralympic Games, Barney and his sporting partner, Neil Fachie, won a Gold and Silver medal, after achieving double Gold at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.
He has built a reputation for his comprehensive understanding of competing, which ensured his success at multiple Paralympic Games in a row. Having worked closely with disabled Paralympians, he is the ideal spokesperson for an athlete’s true potential.
JJ Chalmers has faced more challenges than most, starting with an IED explosion in 2011. While serving in the Royal Marines, JJ suffered extensive injuries from the blast, including facial injuries and damage to his right elbow. After picking himself back up mentally and physically, he went on to win Gold and two Bronze medals at the Invictus Games.
Though JJ has never competed at the Paralympics, he was 5 Live’s main reporter at the 2018 Winter Paralympics and was part of the BBC’s presentation team at the 2020 Summer Olympics. JJ is a popular representative of disabled athletes, thanks to his experience both competing and presenting at the Games.
JJ can be booked as an after dinner speaker, motivational speaker or an event host. A truly versatile speaker, he has extensive experience in presenting roles, making JJ the go-to host for a wide range of events and conferences. When booked to discuss his injuries, he leaves audiences motivated by his story of recovery.
Champion swimmer and para-triathlete, Claire Cashmore MBE, is a beacon of inspiration. Her first Paralympic success was in 2004, where she won two Bronze medals in the 100m backstroke and women’s 200m medley. Claire later secured three more Bronze medals in Beijing, London and Tokyo, as well as three Silver medals between 2012 and 2016.
At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, Claire won her first Paralympic Gold medal, in the 100-metre relay. This added to the three Gold medals she had previously won at the IPC World Championships and six Gold medals from the IPC European Championships. To achieve such outstanding results, Claire committed her mind, body and soul to her sport.
As a speaker, Claire is engaging, charismatic and a positive force at events. She regularly enlightens audiences about the process of becoming a Paralympian, including the gruelling training regime and mental resilience required to succeed.
Read our exclusive interview with Claire Cashmore to hear more about the champion Paralympian.
Winner of Britain’s first-ever Winter Paralympic gold medal, Kelly Gallagher MBE shot to sporting fame at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games. She has since firmly established Team GB as a formidable force at the Winter Games. Born with Oculocutaneous Albinism, Kelly showed an incomparable level of bravery as she hurtled down the track, following her sighted guide, Charlotte Evans.
In 2014, in celebration of her pioneering work as a para-athlete, Kelly was awarded an MBE at the Birthday Honours. She was later awarded the 2014 Pery Medal by the Ski Club of Great Britain. When booked for events, Kelly provides a gold-standard perspective on the power of determination.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has led a long and diverse career. As a Paralympic athlete, she secured 11 Gold medals between 1992 and 2004, in the 100-metre, 200-metre, 400-metre and 800-metre races. When booked for events, she reveals the importance of developing adaptable skills, an ability that allowed Tanni to succeed in several different sports.
Tanni was born with spina bifida and so uses a wheelchair. In her youth, she was a talented wheelchair basketball player, before she tried her hand at wheelchair racing and embarked on her Paralympic career. Tanni has won a grand total of 16 Paralympic medals and broke over 30 world records, an incredible achievement.
Tanni is one of the most popular Paralympic speakers on our roster. She is an outstanding speaker, whose story of perseverance despite the many adversities Tanni has faced proves that anything is possible. She is a booking opportunity not to be missed.
Between his athletics career and presenting roles, Ade Adepitan has established himself as a British icon. He secured a Bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games in wheelchair basketball, a sport that requires top-class teamwork skills. Ade later won a Gold medal at the Paralympic World Cup, in 2005.
Following his sporting career, Ade took to the small screen. He has been featured on the BBC, Channel 4 and children’s stations, transforming diversity and representation in British broadcasting. Ade is also passionate about charity and has worked with the likes of Go Kids Go, the NSPCC and Comic Relief.
If you want to add a touch of star power to your event, Ade Adepitan is the Paralympic speaker for you. His extensive presenting roles mean your audience will instantly recognise Ade and hang on to every word in his speech. Whether you require a public speaker or an event host, Ade is the obvious choice.
When Ellie Simmonds OBE took part in her maiden Paralympics in Beijing aged 13, she was the youngest member of the team. She went on to win the 100m Freestyle before breaking her own world record by more than seven seconds for a second title in the 400m Freestyle.
She then became the poster girl for the London 2012 Paralympics, and she did not disappoint, winning 400m Freestyle and 200m Individual Medley Golds as well as 100m Freestyle Silver and 50m Freestyle Bronze to cap off what was an incredible month for the entire UK. Recently, Ellie broke boundaries as the first contestant on Strictly Come Dancing to have dwarfism.
As a Paralympic speaker, she often discusses her incredible rise to the top of S6 swimming and how she maintained optimum performance. Ellie is also a passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion and representation, and is living proof that self-belief triumphs over prejudice.
Jonnie Peacock MBE burst onto the world stage at just 18 years old, when he represented Great Britain in the T44 men’s 100m at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Despite running his first international race at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester just three months prior, Jonnie went on to win the Gold medal at the Paralympic Games. He also broke the Paralympic record at the same time, completing the 100m in 10.90 seconds - what an achievement!
Recognised as one of Britain’s greatest Paralympians, the Jonnie is the embodiment of courage and determination. He is certainly a winner when he speaks to audiences about his life and experiences, and he inspires young and old alike.
With six Paralympic Gold medals to his name, David Weir CBE is one of Team GB’s greatest talents. Born with a congenital spinal cord transection that left him unable to use his legs, the Wallington native broke the mould from an early age, when he entered the London Marathon at just eight years old. Since then, he has continued to break records and barriers.
At Athens in 2004, David won a Silver medal in the 100m and a Bronze in the 200m. At Beijing in 2008, he won four medals – Gold in the 800m and the 1500m, Silver in the 400m and Bronze in the 5000m. At the 2012 London Paralympic Games, he went on to win Gold in the 5000m, 1500m, 800m and the marathon.
An outstanding speaker, David is a fountain of inspiration, has an incredible story to tell, and will astound your audience. He understands better than most the value of resilience, a key skill in the workplace.
A Lance Corporal with the British Army’s Second Battalion, Derek Derenalagi was pronounced dead after his vehicle was hit by an IED in Afghanistan in 2007, but medics at Camp Bastion detected a faint pulse as they readied a body bag for him.
After his legs were amputated above the knee, Derek was flown to Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital, where he spent nine days in a coma. He then embarked on the Ministry of Defence’s Battle Back programme and took part in a Paralympic training camp in the United States, where he took up the F57 shot put and discus.
In 2012, Derek won the Gold medal in the F57/58 discus at the IPC Athletics European Championship, before being selected in Team GB for the 2012 Paralympics in London, where he became the first Fijian to represent Great Britain in the tournament. A truly incredible Paralympic speaker, Derek’s story is incredibly moving and will have a deep impact on your audience.
A three-time World Champion in archery, Danielle Brown MBE won a Gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games where she competed against able-bodied athletes. She also clinched the top prize in the women’s individual compound at both Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and broke every record there was to break in the competition.
A master in the art of competing and winning, Danielle enjoys helping others achieve their ambitions and goals as a motivational speaker and sports psychologist. She also works with the education and business sectors to minimise the impact of stress and nerves.
Danielle is proof that a disability doesn’t have to prevent someone from reaching optimum performance. She will challenge the way you think and demonstrate how to harness the powers of vision and self-belief to pursue excellence.
Having earned an incredible 33 medals, at such events as the 2006 Durban IPC Swimming World Championships and the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games, David Roberts CBE is one of the most successful para-athletes in British history.
David was born with cerebral palsy, a condition that requires great mental and physical strength. Using his voice to inspire others, his work in the field of disability awareness has been celebrated with an MBE, CBE and an induction into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.
When booked for events, David proves to audiences the vast extent of their potential. With every athletics medal, David proved the value of determination, perseverance and mental resilience, qualities that he explores in his public speeches.
To book any of the above Paralympic speakers, or to enquire about the other Paralympic speakers on our books, do not hesitate to contact Champions Olympic Speakers via our online form or by calling us on 0207 1010 553
Jack Hayes was appointed Director of the Champions Olympic Speakers agency in 2012 becoming one of the youngest Directors in the UK. A year later, Jack became a founding member of the European Association of Speakers Bureaux (EASB) collaborating with speaker agencies to create a code of ethics and regulations for the industry.
Balancing his time between attracting the world's top speaking talent and leading collaborations with global brands, Jack has nurtured relationships with media publications, blue-chip companies, institutions and governments. Having signed some of the most sought-after speakers on the international stage, Jack has overseen countless projects with the likes of HSBC, LadBible, the NHS, The Economic Times' Business Summit, ITV and British Airways.
Despite having already booked in the services of speakers such as the world's greatest living explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the inspiration behind James Bond character "Q" and former Director-General of MI5, Dame Stella Rimington, rugby World Cup-winning manager Sir Clive Woodward and many more, there was one moment that stood out for Jack, which was booking the man who put the "i" in iPhone, Ken Segall, who appeared at our very own Champions networking breakfast.
Jack has led Champions Speakers to unprecedented growth. Having taken the bureau into the digital age he has cultivated a brand-wide commitment to innovation, all the while staying true to the family values upon which Champions has been built; trust, transparency and care. Outside of work, Jack can be found still working! And occasionally attempting to breakdance.
To discuss the details of your event or book one of our exciting Olympic and Paralympic speakers, call a booking agent at Champions Olympic Speakers on 0207 1010 553 or complete our online contact form.
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