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Former Olympic sprinter, Derek Redmond made history, not for many of the races he won, but for the single race he lost. A phenomenal athlete with an extensive career history, Derek has succeeded in sprinting, basketball and as a motivational speaker. Having experienced several setbacks, including his high-profile injury in the Barcelona Olympic Games, Derek now acts as an inspiration to everyone he meets, particularly on the speaking circuit.
Best recognised for his impressive achievements as a 400-meter relay champion. From breaking the British record in 1985 to placing first in the 1986 European Championships, Derek was a fierce competitor in the 80s and 90s. Dominating in the sport on a global level, Derek secured silver in the 1987 World Championships and clinched the gold at the 1991 event. Despite such successful results, Derek became a sporting icon at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics after failing to place in his event. Having suffered a snapped hamstring at the 250-meter mark, Derek knew there was no chance of winning, but he could at least attempt to finish. With the support of his father and thousands of fans in the arena, Derek crossed the finish line.
With his athletics career abruptly ending in injury, Derek has gone on to be successful in every venture he undertakes. Whether he’s representing Birmingham Bullets in basketball or acting as a Director of Development for UK Athletics Derek acts as an inspiration to others overcoming adversity. In his most recent role as the Group Performance Director at Thomas International, Derek champions dynamic thinking and supports businesses in developing diverse teams.
At speaking events, Derek utilises his experiences as a world-class athlete, combined with his later work in personal professional development to spearhead his audiences to success. Additionally, as a prominent Black athlete, Derek has faced personal challenges in the sports industry due to racial discrimination. A champion for improved diversity, Derek dedicates his platform and speaking engagements to supporting improved inclusion for all races across all industries and works with corporate clients to develop diverse business policies.
In November 2023 we sat down virtually with Derek Redmond and discussed the importance of diversity in business and how he was able to overcome adversity. Watch our Exclusive Interview with Derek Redmond. Hire Derek Redmond for EDI-themed events via his official D&I speaker agent, The Diversity & Inclusion Speakers Agency today!
“we thought the event was brilliant. Very engaging, tech worked very smoothly and Derek’s stories really struck a chord with our staff. We had c. 200 attendees. Feedback from attendees so far has been glowing. Thank you for all your support in arranging! Looking forward to Asif’s event next week!”
Could you also please pass on our massive thanks to Derek, we had such nice feedback about his talk and the way he handled the questions – so thank you all for giving us a great race equality week!
“Derek – on behalf of everyone at Spirit Energy thank you very much for a really engaging and inspirational talk today, it was an honour to have you share your experiences and insights with us in such a relevant way. We have already had many positive comments – I think it really hit the spot for what we were looking to achieve.”
“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!”
“Derek was an inspiration over the 3 days, I have never seen so many people in one room engaged when Derek was speaking. Everyone who attended the conference are still talking about him today.The speech was a great climax to the conference, please pass on our thanks. We would recommend Derek to any organisation looking for a motivational speaker, even after watching him every day for 3 days, I still enjoyed the speech as much each time.”
“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”
“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”
“You were TREMENDOUS! We have had so many people saying how inspired they were by you and what you said. Also how much they appreciated you sharing your personal experience and wisdom. The feedback has been overwhelming and all positive. We had 350 people on the call at different points, which is a great turnout for Arup. Thank you very, very much for taking the time to participate in the panel discussion. I am thrilled to have met you virtually. You made a hugely important and valuable contribution to making the event a success. We really appreciate it. Thanks on behalf of everyone at Arup who attended”
“Derek was amazing! Everyone loved the presentation and he had the highest attendance rating for all of the wellness weeks! Thank you all for your help with this”
The Diversity and Inclusion Speakers Agency has been one of the UK’s leading bureaus for inspirational figures of different races, genders, sexualities and abilities since 2020. We supply speakers for corporate and public events across the world, and cater to both in-person occasions and online webinars. Our roster includes athletes, psychologists, celebrities and more, to ensure that audiences of all industries receive tailored, impactful advice on diversity and inclusion.
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