Olympics & Olympians speakers

Flashback to his early presenting days and some of you may remember Ade Adepitan from the CBBC series X-Change and the BBC ‘dancing wheelchairs’ idents. An instantly recognisable face, Ade has travelled the world for his work including the BBC’s internationally known Travel Show exploring the history and cultures behind the globe’s most enticing countries.

Currently CEO of Digital Brand Services and works with over a dozen clients in the public and private sectors. Senior Consultant Digital Strategy for TEAM AG, UEFA’s exclusive commercial partner for the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup, the world’s most popular annual sporting event. Alex is also a member of the Digital Advisory Board the the UK Government Digital Service and on the Commission of English Heritage.

Amir Khan is one of the most talented sportsmen of his generation. Catapulted into the limelight from the 2004 Silver medal Olympic podium, Amir has become Britain's highest-profile boxer racking up an impressive professional fight record; having become the World Light Welterweight Champion in July 2009 after his life changing fight against Andreas Kotelnik.

Anna was introduced to rowing when she studied at the University of Cambridge. Moving up to the full international squad, Anna's rise to winning ways had begun. With the world famous partnership with Katherine Grainger, the two were unbeaten in their first season rowing together and they went on to claim two World Championship golds before entering and championing the London 2012 games. Setting a new Olympic record on the way the pair convincingly won their Olympic final to take gold and provide one of the most memorable moments of the games.

Ben spent nine years as a member of the Great Britain rowing team, competing at six World Championships and three Olympics - culminating in gold in the coxed eights in Sydney. Before they did anything during training, Ben and his team asked themselves the question: “Will it make the boat go faster?” He encourages audiences to apply the same question to their own goals.

Bradley Wiggins established himself as one of the world’s finest track endurance riders by collecting six Olympic medals across three Games, including individual pursuit gold at Athens 2004 and individual pursuit gold and team pursuit gold at Beijing 2008.

Brian is famed for winning the 4x400m relay with only one shoe. He is a two time European gold medalist, and goes down in the hearts of British fans as the epitome of perseverance and determination. Brian is now a coach and mentor.

Chemmy is Britain’s number one female alpine skier. She started skiing as a toddler aged 18 months and began competing seriously at the age of 8. From this committed early start to her career, Chemmy has progressed in every discipline and has worked her way up to be ranked 8th in the world. She was the first British woman to qualify for the World Cup Finals, the first British skier to win a run in a World Cup race and the first British skier to win the British Land National Ski Championships six times in a row. Chemmy has competed in three consecutive Olympic Games, in Salt Lake City, Turin and then Vancouver, where at both Turin and Vancouver she finished an impressive 11th place. Despite a horrific accident in Lake Louise in 2010, Chemmy has embarked on a remarkable road to recovery to head for her fourth Olympics: Sochi 2014. As well as being ranked in the top 30 in the world for Super G, Giant Slalom and Combined, she is an excellent ambassador for British sport, encouraging younger athletes to pursue their dreams.

Chris Boardman won the 4km individual pursuit at the Barcelona Olympics and broke the world hour record three times. His was the nation's first gold in cycling for over 70 years. The iconic image of the Lotus machine and pointy helmet linked Chris forever with cutting edge technology. This was reinforced with Chris leading the research & development team for GB Cycling in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where they became the most successful British sporting team of all time. He is now Greater Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner and intends to bring continental levels of bike use to the UK.

Clare Balding began her career as an amateur flat jockey, becoming Champion Lady Rider. The transition from competing to presenting began with her television debut at Royal Ascot. Clare is now an established name in BBC sport, winning several awards. She has also written regular columns for the Observer and Sunday Telegraph, as well as Racing Post.

Colin Jackson CBE is ranked as being one of most successful British athletes of all time. His athletic prowess gained him World, Commonwealth, and European champion. His world record 110m time was unbroken for an astonishing 13 years, but still remains the World Championship record time. Colin still holds the 60m hurdle record time, which has now been unbeaten for nearly 20 years. Since retiring from athletics, Colin was a natural choice to become one of the key members of the BBC's sports production team and he continues to cover all of their Athletics output as a BBC pundit and presenter.

She is a founder of the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, set up in 2003, a charity which takes young people aged between 8-24 sailing to help them regain their confidence on their way to recovery from cancer, leukaemia and other serious illnesses. Having become acutely aware of the finite nature of the resources our linear economy relies upon, she stepped away from professional sailing in 2009 to launch the Ellen MacArthur Foundation following 4 years traveling the world and researching the challenges facing our current global economy.nd the circular economy to life.

The Athens Olympic Games was the pinnacle of a long but frustrating international athletics career for Kelly Holmes. Her Double Olympic Gold triumph changed her life forever and fulfilled her second childhood dream of becoming an Olympic Champion. She became the first British female athlete to win both the 800m and 1500m. Since retiring from international athletics, Kelly has started a new chapter in her life in the business world; establishing her own company Double Gold and her charity the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust. She has also been active in raising the profile of school sport up the political agenda. Kelly became National School Sport Champion in 2006 for three years and pioneered the creation of National School Sport Week. She also led the creation of Girls Active set up with the Youth Sports Trust to capture the interest of disengaged female teenagers. She now has a number of ambassadorial positions for TeamGB, London 2012 sponsor BT, the Jaguar Academy of Sport alongside the honour of being President of Commonwealth Games England.

Great Britain’s most successful woman Olympian, cyclist Laura won double-gold at both London and Rio in the team pursuit and the omnium. She won her fifth gold in the women's Madison during the 2020 Tokyo games.

After losing his right arm in a horrific accident in 1994 at just aged 21, Danny was determined to overcome this huge hurdle in his life, focusing on the future and regaining his positive attitude.

Beckham is an athlete of immense talent and success. Having played in leagues across the world, for teams including Manchester United, Real Madrid, A.C. Milan, L.A. Galaxy, and P.S.G., Beckham is one of the biggest names in football. He went on to be the first English player to play in 100 Champions League matches and to win 4 league titles in four different countries.

In July 2017 David was appointed by Warner Bros and the Blair Partnership (agents for JK Rowling) in what is set to be a landmark role leading digital innovation across the Wizarding World franchise, including Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. Prior to that David was Managing Director of Membership, Marketing and Consumer Revenue at the Guardian, responsible for all reader revenue. David played a key role in two of Britain's most high-profile campaigns: Director of Marketing at the London 2012 Olympic bid, and Director of Commercial and Marketing at the England 2018 FIFA World Cup bid.

David Millar is former British National Road Champion and Time Trial Champion, the only British Rider to have worn all the Leaders Jerseys from the Tour de France and one of only six British riders to have worn the Yellow Jersey. He was also the first of only two British riders ever to have worn the Leader’s Jersey in all three Grand Tours. Millar was banned for two years in 2004 after admitting taking banned performance enhancing drugs. During his ban and on his return to cycling in 2006 he worked with WADA and UKAD on various anti-doping initiatives and has become a voice for anti-doping within the sport. His final chapter in cycling saw him win Silver in the World Championships, stages of all three Grand Tours and write a best selling Autobiography. David retired from cycling at the end of 2014 season but remains actively involved in the sport.

Derek is a retired British athlete who epitomises the Olympic spirit. During his career, he held the British record for the 400 metres sprint, and won gold medals in the 4x400 metres relay at the World Championships, European Championships and Commonwealth Games. Since retiring from athletics, Derek has played basketball for England and professionally for the Birmingham Bullets and has played competitive rugby union for Coventry RFC and Stow RFC. He is also a respected coach and advisor for international athletes.

Ellie is four times Paralympic Champion and current multiple world record holder. The youngest winner of the BBC Young Sports Personality of the year in 2008 and then the youngest recipient of the MBE at the age of 14 years. Now an OBE she has a world class reputation and huge personality.

Giles is a motivational speaker who energises organisations large and small with his speech Changing to Win across the world. Each organisation faces a unique set of challenges and Giles works to ensure he reflects these to illustrate a way forward.

After overseeing Eurostar’s move to St Pancras, Greg Nugent took on the enormous challenge of marketing London 2012 – with 60 million stakeholders and media waiting to pounce on every slip. He initiated a regular dialogue with the public and 23,000 local community leaders, renamed volunteers Gamesmakers – and supervised thousands of branded items.

Having sailed the Atlantic alone twice, Hannah is one of Britain’s most inspirational women. Sailing solo for weeks at a time and coming 2nd in a transatlantic race, Hannah has faced icebergs, intense sleep deprivation, technical failures and the worst that the North Atlantic Ocean can muster. Hannah has led others through hostile conditions, inspiring fellow crew members in some of the world’s toughest oceans.

An integral part of the BBC’s coverage of all major events, Hazel presented at Rio in 2016, marking her eighth consecutive Summer Olympic Games. She has worked on every Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games since 1994 and, in addition to presenting and reporting, Hazel is an experienced commentator on many sports and events.

Helen Glover MBE was one of the most prominent sporting stars to emerge from the 2012 Olympic Games, typifying the ideal that hard work breeds success. Alongside her rowing partner, Heather Stanning, Helen wrote herself into the British history books by not only winning Team GB’s first Gold of the Games but claiming British Rowing’s first ever female Gold medal.

Jamie Baulch enjoyed a career spanning 15 years at the top of world class athletics. Since retiring in 2005, he has starred in several reality TV shows and directed several business ventures including the Jamie Baulch Academy and a great contestant on Dancing on Ice!

One of the stars of the London 2012 Olympics, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill was not just the 'poster girl' for the games, she also demonstrated the determination, competitiveness and sporting behaviour with which the games is synonymous. When Jess stormed home in first place in the 800m, her final event, it secured the gold medal for her, and in doing so captured one of the most memorable golds of the Olympics and providing one of the highlights of the London games.

Joanna Rowsell Shand MBE is a GB Cyclist, Olympian and 5x World Champion.

The finest triple jumper of all time, Jonathan Edwards is the former Olympic, Commonwealth, European and World Champion - and the current world record holder. He was an ambassador for the London Olympics bid before becoming a key member of the Organising Committee.

Kriss began his international athletic career in 1983 as a member of the 4×400 metre relay squad and will probably always be remembered for helping Britain clinch the Gold and beat the Americans in the World Championships 4×400 metre relay in Tokyo in 1991. Kriss is currently the CEO of The Akabusi Company, a corporate communications and training company where his marvellous personality and reputation as a fantastic public speaker has made him a very popular and attractive advocate. He is also an accredited personal coach, having qualified at the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara. He is one of only four qualified Hudson Institute coaches in the UK.

Marc competed internationally as a swimmer for 17 years, winning 12 Paralympic medals from 5 Games and a further 21 from either World or European Championships. In the past he has held world records for 200m, 400m, 1500m Freestyle and as well as being part of the team that held the world record for 4 x 100m Freestyle. Marc Woods was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 17 and had his left leg amputated below the knee. Not knowing whether he had 6 months or 60 years left to live, he was determined to make the most of whatever time he had.

Since Mark burst onto the International swimming scene, at the age of 16, representing England at the 1986 Commonwealth Games, he has gone on to represent his country more times and been decorated more than any other male swimmer. Throughout his impressive three decade career he has won 47 international medals; competed in 5 Olympics, been 8 times Commonwealth champion, 10 times European champion and 8 times World record holder.

Martine Wright lost both legs in the 7/7 terrorist attacks on the London underground. She has since rebuilt her life, skydived, learned to fly, and become a member of the British 2012 Paralympic volleyball team.

Nicola Adams OBE was the first woman to win an Olympic boxing title, she is the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medallist in the women's flyweight division.

Paula Radcliffe is the current women's world record holder in the marathon with her time of 2 hours 15 minutes and 25 seconds.

Steve has an unparalleled reputation for giving people an edge – as well as the confidence to overcome defeat. His specialist interest is in the working of the human mind and how it can reach optimum performance applied to all walks of life. He works with Liverpool Football Club, England Football and Sky ProCycling, and has current and past involvements in many other Olympic and non-Olympic Sports, including British Cycling, England Rugby, World Championship Snooker and Premier league Football.

Great Britain's most successful ever swimmer, Becky Adlington, announced her retirement from international competition in February 2013, and immediately set out her vision for her legacy, which she sees as her greatest challenge in swimming. During a stellar career, Adlington won multiple Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth Games gold medals. She competed in four Olympic finals, winning two Gold and two Bronze medals in Beijing and London respectively. She remains the current world record holder in the 800m Freestyle, and undoubtedly the greatest swimmer that Great Britain has ever produced, not to mention one of the most successful female athletes in British Olympic history.

Winner of the T42 200m Gold at the London 2012 Paralympics, Richard is the current world record holder for leg amputees in both the half and Olympic marathon distances. He is also the first ever leg amputee to complete the marathon in under 3 hours. Richard recently completed a mammoth challenge of 40 marathons in 40 days in Britain, seeing him run from John O'Groats to Land's End.

Roger Black is one of the country's most successful sportsmen having represented Great Britain for fourteen years at the highest level in the world of athletics. Roger won fifteen major Championship Medals including European, Commonwealth and World Championship Gold Medals. His greatest achievements were winning the Olympic 400 metres Silver Medal in 1996 and being part of the Gold Medal winning 4 x 400 metres relay team at the 1991 World Championships. Still one of the UK's most popular speakers, Roger inspires and motivates audiences throughout the UK and Europe – he understands the dynamics of becoming a champion, how to live a dream, set goals and fulfil ones potential. Roger's presentations are designed to motivate people to become more successful both as individuals and as members of a team. All world-class teams are comprised of world-class individuals. Roger shares strategies to develop the mindset of a champion by applying his "Five Fundamentals" for success.

Sally Gunnell OBE DL is the only woman ever to hold the Big Four concurrently (Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European titles), Sally remains a towering figure in British athletics. She has more than 15 years’ experience in addressing a wide variety of corporate audiences. She has covered global conferences of thousands and senior leadership teams of just 6. Her natural, easy-going style belies her relentless focus on achieving and sustaining excellence.

Sharron Davies MBE occupies a unique position in British life. She has occupied a position as one of the UK’s best known and most popular women since she burst onto the scene as a 13-year-old Olympian in 1976. Sharron Davies MBE is the ultimate Olympian. She has attended 9 Olympic Games – three as an athlete and six as a broadcaster, and has unparalleled experience over the past 35 years as a competitor and broadcaster.

Ben Ainslie is the most decorated Olympic sailor of all time, being a four-time Olympic gold medalist. He rose to prominence in the Atlanta Games after being beaten into silver by Brazilian Robert Scheidt. In Sydney he took his revenge, establishing a fourteen-point lead over his rival in the final race. Remarkably, he went on to win in Athens, Beijing and London.

Sir Chris Hoy has long been one of the world’s best known cyclists and in 2012 he found another place in the record books as Team GB’s most successful Olympian, with six gold medals and one silver, making him also the most successful cyclist in history. His passion for cycling started from a young age he truly followed his ambitions to achieve this success. In 2008 he was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and was appointed Knight Bachelor in the 2009 New Year Honours "for services to Sport". In 2012 the "Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome", built for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games was named in his honour.

Sir Clive Woodward saw a successful Rugby Union career playing for Leicester Tigers, England and the British and Irish Lions. Off the pitch, Clive experienced a flourishing career in coaching, at his peak leading the England International team to world cup victory in Sydney in 2003.

As Cycling Performance Director at Beijing, Dave Brailsford was widely credited as the driving force behind Team GB's phenomenal results. Dave himself was crowned BBC Sports Personality Coach of the Year and this supreme success was repeated at London 2012; the team stormed home with twelve medals, including eight golds. Dave speaks proficiently about the importance of focus, motivation and teamwork, and how leaders must deal with different people and their reactions to success and failure.

Sir Steve Redgrave is a Team GB rower, who successfully captured five consecutive gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000. Known as one of Britain's greatest sporting personalities, Steve has also won nine gold medals, two silvers and a bronze at the Rowing World Championships over a span of nine years. His record of 14 total Olympic and World Championship gold medals is unsurpassed by any other rower in history.

Former Paralympic long jumper and sprinter Stef has had a lifelong passion for sport. She is a five-time world record holder, but away from the track she also has a degree in biochemistry, was a finalist on Celebrity MasterChef, and made her modelling debut fronting Debenhams’ Diversity Campaign, which aimed to challenge the perceived norms of the fashion industry.

Steve Backley OBE only turned to the javelin after competing in cross-country and middle distance running. He then went on to become four times European champion and winner of three Commonwealth golds, and the only British athlete to win medals at three consecutive Olympic Games. He was ranked in the top ten for a decade, three times as world number one. Steve identifies the three main attributes which lead to success: self-belief, motivation and application. Winning is more than just natural talent. We all have the ability to tap into these natural sources to make the ultimate difference on the day.

Steve Cram is a British Icon recognised as one of the finest athletes of his generation. He is a World, Olympic, European and Commonwealth medallist as well as 3 time World Record holder during his illustrious athletic career. He was recognised for his achievements by winning the BBC Sports Personality of the year in 1983, and receiving his MBE in 1986.

11 Paralympic Gold Medals, 6 times winner of London Wheelchair Marathon Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is Britain's greatest Paralympic athlete. She competed in five Paralympic Games, winning 11 Gold Medals, and is acknowledged as one of the most gifted and courageous sportswomen of her generation. In addition to her outstanding Paralympic achievements, between 1992 and 2002 she won the London Wheelchair Marathon a total of six times. Now retired, Tanni still plays an active role in the administration of sport.