Having excelled at American Football, Rugby and Rowing in his university days, Sam was spotted as a potential track and field athlete. In just over 6 months after initially taking up the sport, Sam found himself on the biggest stage Paralympic sports could offer - and in his home town at the London 2012 Paralympics. Sam has cerebral palsy and so he competed in the T35 running category making the final of his event. With a World Ranking of 8, he was selected to compete in the 100m and 200m at London 2012, a decision that was far from premature.
Since then he has gone from strength to strength and he is undoubtedly setting himself up to enjoy a prolific career. A confident after-dinner speaker, Ruddock is able to captivate audiences with his tale of overcoming adversity and sporting success during his role as an Olympic speaker.
While competing at the 2013 IPC World Championships in Lyon, France, Sam Ruddock began gaining recognition across the 100m and 200m events and was viewed as a future medal winner, but not only on the track! At the start of the 2013-2014 season, Sam transitioned to shot putt and was selected to represent Team GB at numerous championships peaking with a silver medal in the shot putt at the 2016 European Championships. At the Rio 2016 Summer Paralympics, he achieved a respectable 6th place. Having joined the British Cycling Foundation Programme in 2019, Sam is currently training to compete in track cycling at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. With his drive and ambition clearly evident for all who meet him, this Olympic speaker is an ideal addition to all events and occasions, delivering memorable speeches on topics including peak performance, dedication and motivation; his constant devotion to athletics, continuing to train at Loughborough, is admirable and inspirational.
A continual part of UK Athletics’ Aviva Parallel Success programme and a mentor for the Youth Sports Trust, Sam's fast-tracked route into London 2012 and beyond has helped him lay the foundations of an exciting career within elite sport. Delivering as an Olympic speaker for a whole host of events, the popularity of Sam Ruddock is without a doubt going to continue to grow in parallel with his sporting successes.
