Derek Redmond

Retired British athlete, Derek Redmond, broke the British 400-metre record and secured gold at the World Championships and European Championships, racing in the 4x400 metre relay.

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Race & Minority Ethnic

Biography:

Despite his initial success, Derek was plagued with injuries throughout his career. Most notably, he tore his hamstring at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, as he raced in the 400metre semi-finals. Held up by his father, Derek limped a full lap of the track to cross the finish line, the crowd erupting in a standing ovation.

Though he was disqualified, the moment firmly positioned Derek as an inspirational figure. The video clip was the focus of the International Olympic Committee's "Celebrate Humanity" campaign, has featured in advertisements as a symbol of perseverance, and featured in a Nike commercial in 2008, entitled Courage.

Born to West Indian immigrants in Buckinghamshire, Derek’s childhood school, Roade School, named its sports hall after him. In 1985, he broke his first British record when he ran the 400metres in 44.82 seconds. Though this record was later broken again by Roger Black, Derek reclaimed it in 1987.

Featuring as a member of the GB team in 1986, Derek won a gold medal in the 4x400 relay Champions. In the following year, he won a silver medal in the same sport, at the World Championships. By 1991, Derek had positioned himself in the realm of respected athletes. At the World Championships, his team shocked spectators when they beat the dominant American team to secure gold in the relay.

Since his retirement, Derek has turned his attention to motivating others with his story and life lessons. Despite his injuries, he wasn’t done with the world of sport just yet, so went on to play professional basketball with the Birmingham Bullets and raced motorbikes with the Hottrax Motorsport Racing Club, a race that consisted of relay and endurance. Sparking a love of bikes, Derek now owns a superbike team.

Since 2015, Derek is a psychometric assessor with Thomas International. As their Group Performance Director, he offers corporate workshops to improve employees wellbeing, productivity and motivation to succeed. As a motivational speaker, he regularly gives presentations on the importance of believing in yourself despite adversity, reflecting upon his experiences to inspire others.

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Videos:

Watch our exclusive virtual interview with Derek Redmond below:

Watch Derek Redmond discussing mental resilience:

We invited Derek Redmond to our HQ for an exclusive Q&A:

Testimonials

"Initial feedback about Derek has been great, people saying he was really funny and engaging!" - Lottie, Events Organiser, R3 Association of Business Recovery Professionals

"we thought the event was brilliant. Very engaging, tech worked very smoothly and Derek’s stories really struck a chord with our staff. We had c. 200 attendees. Feedback from attendees so far has been glowing. Thank you for all your support in arranging! " - Maria, Ministry of Defence

"The feedback from our event has been hugely positive and Derek was very well received by all who attended. Some verbatim feedback included: I thought Derek Redmond was really interesting, Derek's session was fantastic, Derek was very uplifting and enjoyable to listen to and Derek's session was excellent and very motivational. Thanks so much and we will, of course, share your details if anyone else in our organisation requires an external speaker" - Lisa, Fidelity International

"You were TREMENDOUS! We have had so many people saying how inspired they were by you and what you said. Also how much they appreciated you sharing your personal experience and wisdom. The feedback has been overwhelming and all positive. We had 350 people on the call at different points, which is a great turnout for Arup. Thank you very, very much for taking the time to participate in the panel discussion. I am thrilled to have met you virtually. You made a hugely important and valuable contribution to making the event a success. We really appreciate it. Thanks on behalf of everyone at Arup who attended" - Andrea, Director Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Arup

"Derek went down very well. He was enthusiastic and his passion infectious. People really connected with his story and I had a couple of people message me afterwards to thank us for setting it up" - Guy, TT Electronics

"Derek was an absolute delight! So professional, helpful and entertaining- honestly, I could not believe how pleasant he was to work with. Sometimes it feels as if the speaker is just there to do the slot and not a second more but that was definitely not the case with Derek. He was a wonderful guest, speaker and host. Highly, highly recommend" - Caron, Media Nett

“Derek was an inspiration over the 3 days, I have never seen so many people in one room engaged when Derek was speaking. Everyone who attended the conference are still talking about him today. The speech was a great climax to the conference, please pass on our thanks. We would recommend Derek to any organisation looking for a motivational speaker, even after watching him every day for 3 days, I still enjoyed the speech as much each time.” – Carol Sales, Tunstall Healthcare (UK) Ltd

"Derek provided some valuable insights into team building/leadership by expressing them in a sporting context. His delivery was professional, funny, honest and extremely engaging. Furthermore, whilst off the stage as well as on, he was very personable and endeared himself to everyone in the team." - Lloyds Bank

"We worked with Derek for an online event this year, and he was absolutely fantastic. Extremely professional and really easy to work with. His talk, even though it had to be done online due to the pandemic, was very interesting and all the feedback we received from our guests was positive. Very happy to recommend him for any event." - Clint, Casual Business

Speaking Topics

Derek's official speaking topics are listed below.

Diversity & Inclusion

As a prominent Black athlete, Derek Redmond experienced significant racism throughout his career. At events, he shares his powerful story to educate audiences, teaching them the importance of inclusive, accepting workplaces. Diversity has the potential to spark innovation and nurture high-performance teamwork, reflecting the importance of Derek’s speaking topic.

Dealing with Change

In the world of sport, change can come thick and fast. One second you are the World Champion, the next your title has been taken and you are faced with another uphill battle to the top. Derek Redmond uses this experience of change management to impart such valuable life lessons at events. Attendees come away motivated to raise the bar in their own lives.

Resilience

From goal-setting to dealing with failure, Derek Redmond’s speaking topics include a wealth of strategies for mental resilience. Having stared failure in the face at the 1992 Olympic Games, when Derek suffered a career-ending injury, he learned the importance of adaption and self-motivation. At events, audiences learn how Derek transitioned from sport to business, thanks to his mental resilience.

High-Performance Teams

Derek Redmond’s knowledge of high-performance teamwork stems from his 1991 victory over the formidable American team, at the World Championships. The British team’s performance reflected Derek’s communication skills, a key factor of his speaking topic. At events, he uses this story to inspire unity in workplace teams, improving performance and wellbeing.

Motivation & Inspiration

Derek Redmond believes that sport is a business, and business is a sport. They are intrinsically linked, so the skills of one can be translated to the other. As an athlete turned businessman, Derek uses his knowledge of maximising success to benefit corporate audiences, teaching them the secrets of ‘going for gold’.

How to Hire Derek Redmond

To book Derek Redmond as the speaker for your corporate event, function or conference, contact The Motivational Speakers Agency using the contact details below:

Enquiry form 0207 0787 876 [email protected]

Please note we do not accept requests for autographs personal messages or video messages.

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