About

One of Britain’s most famous athletes, Derek Redmond, is a World and European relay champion. Having broken the British 400m record on two occasions, Derek was one of the country’s best athletes during the 1980s and 1990s. A key member of the relay squad that won gold at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, he competed at the highest level for over a decade.

He first rose to prominence in 1985 when he broke the 400m British record, achieving a time of 44.82 seconds. 12 months later, he was selected in the 4x400m relay team for the European Championships in Stuttgart.   

Great Britain won gold in what was a sure sign of things to come. A year later, they won a silver medal at the World Championships in Rome. By the time the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo arrived, Derek had established himself as one of Britain’s best athletes. Alongside Kriss Akabusi, John Regis and Roger Black, he then stunned the sporting world as Britain triumphed over the favourites USA to win gold. Their run remains the second fastest 4x400m run in history.

Having now proved himself as a relay athlete, Derek went about trying to do the same as an individual runner. At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, representing his country, he became part of one of the most inspirational scenes in Olympic history.

In the 400m semi-final, Derek went into the race amongst the favourites, but as he passed the 250m mark, he tore his hamstring. Determined to finish the race, he hobbled to the finish line with the help of his father as a 65,000-strong crowd cheered him on. This incident has since been voted one of the most inspirational moments in the Olympics by the US network NBC and even referenced by Barack Obama in a presidential speech.  

This injury signalled an end to his athletics career, but, committed to not letting his injury keep him down, he has since played basketball for England and played rugby 7s.

Derek’s story is truly inspiring, and he now works as a motivational speaker, sharing his remarkable story with audiences up and down the country. He has worked with a wide range of high-profile brands, delivering his inspiring stories from the track in corporate environments. In 2025, Derek was officially selected by an independent panel of expert speaker agents as one of the 15 Official Best Motivational Speakers to Hire in the UK, based on client feedback and scores. He was also recognised as one of the top motivational speakers in Global Gurus' vetted selection of the Top 10 Motivational Speakers for Corporate Events in 2025!

Derek has been a professional speaker for 31 years, and in July 2025, he completed his 1000th professional keynote speaker event. Derek has spoken to audiences of hundreds, including at a recent event of 78,000 - his biggest ever audience! He has spoken in 52 different countries, making him one of the best and globally recognised keynote and motivational speakers in the UK and across the globe.

Derek Redmond is exclusively managed by Champions Speakers. To hire Derek, contact his official speaker agent today!