Derek Redmond is a name that resonates deeply within the spheres of athletics, resilience, and motivational speaking. A decorated athlete who has transitioned into a high-performance motivational coach, Derek’s career is a rich tapestry of Olympic, European, and World Championship feats, extending through to professional basketball and performance management. Having held the position of Group Performance Director at Thomas International, a leading psychometric assessment company, Derek has seamlessly transitioned into a successful career as a motivational keynote speaker.
His focus on diversity, inclusion, mental resilience, and the construction of high-performance teams has positioned him as a beacon of inspiration and leadership. Derek’s inclusion in Barack Obama’s inaugural State of Union speech highlights his remarkable journey of overcoming adversity, further solidifying his role as an empowering figure capable of inspiring audiences to strive for optimal performance and resilience in the face of challenges.
Derek’s athletic career is both storied and inspirational. Beginning with breaking the British record for the 400m in 1985, Derek’s journey through athletics has been marked by significant achievements, including Gold at the 1986 European Championships and a World Championship Gold in Tokyo in 1991. Despite facing setbacks, including a career-altering hamstring injury during the 1992 Olympic Games, Derek’s unyielding spirit was evident as he made his iconic struggle to the finish line, supported by his father. Transitioning from athletics, Derek explored his talents in basketball, playing professionally for the Birmingham Bullets and the England National Team, where he shared the court with legends such as Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, further demonstrating his versatile athletic prowess.
Beyond his athletic accomplishments, Derek Redmond has made significant strides in the realms of performance management and high-performance coaching. His roles have spanned from Director of Development for UK Athletics to Group Performance Director at Thomas International, showcasing his expertise in fostering talent and building resilient teams. A bestselling author of “Sports is a Business, Business is a Sport” and a revered high-performance speaker, Derek’s ability to distill the essence of his sports experiences into powerful lessons for business and leadership has made him a sought-after figure in the motivational speaking circuit. His work, underpinned by his experiences as a UCLA alumni and his roles with Nike and Olympex, underscores a profound understanding of what it takes to achieve excellence.
Today, Derek Redmond stands as a towering figure in motivational speaking, drawing on his personal journey of triumph over adversity, his insights into diversity and inclusion, and his mastery of mental resilience. His speeches, informed by his own experiences of discrimination and overcoming hate, resonate powerfully with audiences worldwide, making him an indispensable voice in the conversation around diversity, inclusion, and high performance. Whether addressing corporate leaders, sports teams, or diverse communities, Derek’s message is one of relentless perseverance, resilience, and the power of embracing diversity to achieve greatness. For those seeking to inspire and motivate, Derek Redmond’s compelling narrative and insightful lessons on leadership, resilience, and inclusion offer a guiding light towards achieving peak performance in every aspect of life.
Derek Redmond is regularly booked to engage audiences at events, read their latest feedback below:
“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!”
“It went really well thank you and we’ve had some great feedback from those who attended, including our Senior Partner. Derek was very engaging and his talk was thought-provoking.”
“I would like to thank you very sincerely for your contribution to our KAM Summit, Dubai. It was really uplifting, enlightening and inspiring. This was truly one of the key highlights of our event. Not only your ambition, passion and determination is commendable, but your true spirit of “inspiring people and changing mindsets: From world class to world’s best is highly regarded and appreciated, once again, thank you so much for your remarkable contribution”
“I would like to say a personal thank you for the two excellent motivational speeches you delivered yesterday. We have had nothing but positive feedback. Everyone found it uplifting and will energise them all to think differently, and work better together.”
The Inspirational Leadership Speakers Agency is one of the UK’s leading bureaus for inspiring global leaders. 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, each with top industry insight into leadership.
E: agent@inspirational-leadership-speakers.com
P: 0203 0070 320