Lee Byrne

Regarded as one of Wales’s best fullbacks, Lee Byrne is a renowned rugby player who has played at the highest levels of European rugby. At his peak, Lee was a highly sought-after player who enjoyed an extremely successful international career. However, this remarkable success wasn’t without its challenges. Lee has been very outspoken about his dyslexia and the setbacks this has caused him, as well as the advantages it provided, such as allowing him to see space faster than anybody else. As such, Lee is very well-spoken on the topic of neurodiversity, often sharing his personal experiences with dyslexia and providing tips and techniques for managing neurodiversity to empower his audience in his speaking sessions.

He began his professional career playing for Llanelli RFC in 2003, immediately demonstrating remarkable talent and winning multiple Man of the Match awards. After two outstanding seasons, Lee was handpicked to join the Welsh National Squad in 2005. He made his debut match against the notorious All Blacks, which exhibited his distinguished talent and kickstarted his international career. In 2008, he appeared in the Six Nations Championship, helping Wales secure an extraordinary Grand Slam win.

Having demonstrated exceptional talent on the national front, Lee moved on to join the European Scarlets. After making 29 appearances for the Scarlets, he joined Ospreys, where he participated in prominent competitions, including the Heineken Cup. Although his performance on the field was consistently great, Lee’s dyslexia made it difficult for him to pick up new languages to communicate with his teammates, which occasionally caused conflict. After a stint with the French Clermont and NG Dragons, he announced his retirement in 2015 due to a serious shoulder injury.

An outstanding rugby superstar, Lee documents his remarkable journey from humble origins to international fame in his book, Byrne Identity. In the book, he candidly speaks about his depression following his forced retirement due to injury and the impact his dyslexia has had on his professional life. When booked for speaking engagements, Lee openly speaks about his battle with dyslexia and depression, and offers sincere advice on how to manage neurodivergence to his audience, leaving them with valuable takeaways.