Richard Whitehead

Richard Whitehead MBE is a 2x Gold and Silver Paralympic medalist, marathon and half marathon record holder. He uses prosthetic legs as he has a double through-knee congenital amputation. Richard is an inspirational athlete, having overcome an adverse set of circumstances to build a hugely successful career. Since the end of his career, Richard has developed a terrific reputation as an after-dinner speaker. He brings his inspiring stories to the audience, leaving a lasting impression with every talk. 

His Paralympic career began in 2006 as a sledge hockey player at the Winter Paralympic Games in Turin. Shortly afterwards, he developed a passion for running, which led him to compete in the 200m T42 class where he won a Gold medal at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. He followed that with another Gold medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. Not content, he also competed in and won a Silver medal in the 100m T42 class. He won a Silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, competing in the T61 200m race.

Outside of the Paralympics, Richard has won and retained World Titles in the IPC World Championships, his first Gold medal coming at the 2011 IPC World Championships. He won Gold again at the World Championships in 2013, 2015, and 2017. Such consistency was made possible by his resilience and dedication. In 2013 Ricard ran 40 marathons in 40 days in aid of the charity Sarcoma UK – as the first patron of the charity. In completing the marathons, he became the first double amputee run the length of Britain, raising over £100,000 in the process. Richard was appointed MBE for his services to Athletics and also serves as the patron of the Footprints Conductive Education Centre, a local charity which supports children with problems with mobility and communication.

Richard is a profound speaker bringing attention to the unity that can be achieved through sport. He reminds audiences to focus on what they have achieved no matter how big or small, encouraging both able-bodied and disabled individuals alike to believe in themselves. When looking for an inspirational speaker Richard is a fantastic choice.