Long jumper, pentathlete, 100m sprinter, 400m specialist – hurdles or on the flat… Sally Gunnell OBE has done the lot. The ultimate athlete and Olympic speaker, she has been Olympic champion, Commonwealth champion five times, Goodwill Games champion, European Cup winner four times, World Cup winner twice, World champion and European champion – indoor and outdoor. Winning almost everything possible, Gunnell enjoyed one of the most successful athletics career in history.
In all, Sally has won an incredible 16 gold medals. On the rare occasions when she came anywhere but in first place, Gunnell also won four silver and four bronze medals. However, of all those achievements, her name will be remembered mostly for the two medals she won at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. While her bronze medal in the 4x400m relay was roundly applauded, it was her gold medal-winning performance in the 400m hurdles that really put her among the greats of British athletics.
What struck onlookers most about Sally’s winning performance was how she set off badly but managed – through sheer grit and determination – to get to the front of the pack and be first over the line. She often reflects on her extraordinary career during her time as a speaker but prefers to reflect on how she got there, showcasing the importance of peak performance and achieving goals.
The Olympic speaker’s mettle was also visible to all during the World Championships of 1993 when she had planned to pull out of the 400m hurdles due to a cold that had surely influenced her bronze medal performance in the relay. Changing her mind, Sally went on to win the gold medal and break the world record, the time still remaining a British record. To date, the seven-times AAAs 100m hurdles champion is the only woman to have won the Commonwealth, European, World, and Olympic 400m hurdles titles. A truly special talent that will potentially never be topped, Gunnell is one of the most influential people in British athletics.
Since retiring, Gunnell has appeared on TV many times, including spells as a pundit for the BBC and a participant on Total Wipeout, A Question of Sport, Sport Relief, You Bet!, The Cube, The Weakest Link and This Is Your Life. A natural athlete, pundit and presenter, Sally Gunnell has all the talents and skills required to be a sensational Olympic speaker. She often discusses a range of vital topics such as overcoming adversity and maximising success.
Watch our exclusive interview with Sally Gunnel to see the athletics icon in action!
1 x Olympic Gold medallist - 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games in 400m Hurdles
1 x Olympic Bronze medallist
1 x Word Championships Gold medallist
1 x World Championships Silver medallist
1 x World Championships Bronze medallist
1 x Goodwill Games Gold medallist
2 x IAFF World Cup Gold medallist
1 x IAAF World Cup Bronze medallist
1 x European Championships Gold medallist
1 x European Championships Bronze medallist
4 x European Cup Gold medallist
2 x European Cup Silver medallist
1 x European Indoor Championships Gold medallist
5 x Commonwealth Games Gold medallist
1 x Commonwealth Games Silver medallist
"A brilliant presentation. You inspired, captured and motivated the imagination of everyone in the room. You have set a very high standard for future opening speakers."
"- Virgin Atlantic
Sally was certainly a highlight. Her speech was amazing and everyone in the room was hanging on to her every word. Even the younger attendees who may not have known Sally were totally engaged throughout the speech. I spoke to quite a few people over lunch and all said how inspirational she was. Please pass on our thanks to Sally for an incredible job.
"- Ann
"Sally gave an inspirational presentation. It was valuable seeing how Sally related her experiences to challenges in the workplace"
"- IBM Customer Support Operations
"On behalf of Rolls-Royce, I would like to thank you for all your inspirational contributions to our conference"
"- Rolls-Royce
"Sally did a great job of inspiring our delegates during our conference on winning the new environment. A great success"
"- Ernst & Young
"Captivated the audience with an inspirational presentation. We were also struck by how friendly, approachable and humble Sally was"
"- Lloyds TSB
"My heartfelt thanks to Sally. It was an honour to meet her and the team were completely inspired and highly motivated by her words"
"- John Lewis
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