Kate Richardson-Walsh

Kate Richardson-Walsh is a record-breaking hockey player who made history as part of Britain’s 2016 Olympic winning team. Throughout her career, she earned a staggering 375 caps for England and Great Britain, also fortunate to captain the teams for 13 years. A proud member of the LGBT+ community, Kate and her partner Helen Richardson made history when they became the first same-sex couple to win an Olympic gold medal and the first same-sex couple to honoured on the same New Year Honours list. Such experiences have made Kate the perfect choice as a speaker for events themed around diversity and inclusion, known for her passion in female empowerment, inclusion and disability awareness.

Back in 2012, Kate competed at the London 2012 Olympic Games as part of the Great Britain team, claiming her first Olympic victory with a bronze medal. Kate took to the pitch once again at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where the team made history when they defeated the Netherlands on penalties to claim gold for the first time ever. During her speaking events, Kate wows audiences with fascinating anecdotes from such monumental events, empowering other women to follow their passions in sport.

Since retiring as a professional player, Kate has dedicated her time to being a hockey coach and to act as an Ambassador for several organisations. She has shown interests as an Ambassador of the Women’s Sports Trust and as an Ambassador for Access Sport. Her work with Women’s Sport Trust demonstrates her passions to encourage female leadership in sport and to ensure that women feel empowered to perform to the best of their ability. With Access Sport, Kate has passionately advocated the inclusion of people with disabilities in sport, understanding that the high pressures of society often prevent such individuals from doing what they want to achieve.

Now booked as a speaker for a range of events, Kate is highly popular for her passions for diversity and inclusion. Openly lesbian, Kate married her former team member Helen and has always felt passionate about being inclusive, since her own sexuality was accepted by both her hockey team and family. Having played in teams of diverse and unique individuals, Kate knows first hand the importance of diversity in the success of a team, in the process fuelling her passions for equality of women both in sport and society as a whole. Kate is also passionate about empowering young women in her speeches, giving young women the confidence and opportunities they need to thrive. A fantastic choice as a speaker for a diversity and inclusion event, Kate is guaranteed to have an impact on all audiences.