DR DEREK REDMOND OLY.

In this compelling motivational speech, Derek Redmond speaks on diversity, equity and inclusion with expertise grounded in elite sport and lived experience. Drawing on lessons from high-performance athletics and his personal journey, he helps organisations understand diversity at a deeper level and embed inclusion in a practical, lasting way. Derek draws a clear correlation between elite sport and diversity, equity and inclusion. He explains that just as athletes must master the basics of a sport before competing at the highest level, organisations must understand the true fundamentals of diversity before they can build inclusive workplace cultures. Derek expands the conversation beyond the common focus on race, age, gender, sexuality or physical ability. He introduces the four types of diversity: internal, external, organisational and worldview diversity. He explores how individuals can be judged on one aspect or a combination of all four, and how this shapes workplace experiences. Drawing on his own lived experience, including dealing with racism during his athletics career, Derek speaks candidly about bias, resilience and the responsibility leaders carry in creating inclusion.

Audience Takeaways

• Clear understanding of the four types of diversity and how they appear in organisations
• Greater awareness of how unconscious bias influences decisions and behaviours
• Practical insight on how to move beyond token gestures and toward meaningful inclusion
• Deeper understanding of how different worldviews affect teamwork, communication and performance
• Tools to build stronger and more inclusive cultures rooted in understanding and respect

In sport and business, standing still means falling behind. In this interactive motivational speech, Derek Redmond explores how change management can be applied through the lens of elite sport. Drawing on his experience as an Olympic athlete, he shows why past success never guarantees future performance. Through practical exercises and real world insight, Derek reveals how to manage change, respond to setbacks and deliver stronger results year after year. Blending sport psychology with business relevance, this session challenges teams to rethink how they respond to change, pressure and setbacks. Derek begins with a simple activity – delegates design and fly a paper plane, measuring distance and performance. Derek then introduces the principles elite athletes use to raise the bar – analysis, marginal gains, structured preparation and mental resilience. With this new perspective, delegates redesign their planes, and the second attempt almost always outperforms the first, proving that change in thinking drives change in results. From there, Derek shares how world-class performers prepare for major championships. He explores two key timescales – one year out and 24 hours before the event. He explains how athletes break competition into sections, training deliberately for each phase and focus only on controllables. He highlights goal setting, mastering fundamentals, total commitment and building the right support team. Drawing on lessons from setbacks in his own career, Derek shows how challenges become catalysts for growth. Change is reframed as an opportunity; discomfort becomes development.

Audience Takeaways

• Clear frameworks for managing change and raising performance standards
• Practical insight into controllables and fundamentals
• Greater resilience to deal with change and the unexpected
• A practical example of marginal gains in action
• Motivation to commit fully and work harder than the competition

In this powerful speech, Derek Redmond shares the mindset that took him to the Olympic stage and carried him through one of sport’s most painful moments. Drawing on triumph, injury, bankruptcy and reinvention, he reveals how mental resilience shapes performance in both elite sport and business. Derek begins with the story that defined his career at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. Tipped for a medal in the 400m, Derek tore his hamstring 150m into the semi-final. Instead of stopping, he chose to finish; his father joined him on the track to finish the final stretch of the race. Derek shares the footage from the moment and, from there, unpacks the mindset and mental resilience behind that iconic decision. Exploring commitment and controlling the controllable, Derek encourages audiences to see life as a series of challenges to be met rather than problems to avoid. He explains how elite athletes build focus, even when preparation is disrupted or the outcome is uncertain. Derek then moves on to explain his transition from sport to business, explaining how, after his first venture failed and left him bankrupt, he applied the same principles that drove his athletics career to overcome the failure. Derek introduces his seven-stage change curve, from anxiety and denial through to decision and integration, showing how people can move forward when doors close. Throughout the session, Derek shares practical techniques for goal setting, maintaining motivation over long timeframes and reassessing strategy without losing belief. Audiences hear how he handled failure, how he rebuilt and how those experiences shape his work as a global motivational speaker.

Audience Takeaways

• Clear understanding of what the Olympic Mindset means in daily performance
• Practical tools to strengthen mental resilience
• Techniques for staying focused when goals feel distant
• Navigating change using the seven-stage curve
• Strategies for dealing with uncertainty and closed doors
• A renewed commitment to never giving up, even when plans fall apart

Derek Redmond draws on the unforgettable 4x400m relay at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, where the British team defied the odds to beat the USA. In this powerful speech, Derek shares what it really takes to win as a team and why every role matters. At the heart of this presentation is the story of the 1991 4x400m relay victory. Derek takes audiences inside the build-up, the pressure, the preparation and the execution that led to one of Britain’s most memorable relay performances. He explores how teamwork goes far beyond the four athletes on the track – coaches, physios, support staff and backroom teams all played a part. Each individual understood their responsibility and delivered it with precision. Derek breaks down the behaviours that drove success: clear communication, mutual respect and the confidence to innovate when it mattered. He shares how mindset shaped performance, how daring to dream created belief and how embracing change strengthened the team rather than destabilised it. The session also looks deeper at the engagement across the organisation, focusing on the three Rs – Roles, Relationships and Recognition. He explains how clarity of role builds trust, how strong relationships improve performance and how recognition fuels commitment.

For clients seeking values-driven frameworks, Derek delivers tailored versions of this speech built around B.R.A.V.E and P.R.I.D.E.

P = Personal responsibility

R = Relationships

I = Innovate

D = Delivery

E = Eye on the goal

B = Being bold

R = Respectful

A = Authentic

V = Vision

E = Empower

Audience Takeaways

• Practical tools to improve communication and accountability
• Understanding of how teamwork translates into measurable performance
• Greater awareness of individual behavioural styles and emotional impact
• A framework for driving engagement through roles, relationships and recognition
• A sharper focus on execution when it counts

At the Tokyo World Championships, the 4 x 400m relay showed how elite sport mirrors the business world. Preparation, accountability and mindset shaped every stride. In this motivational session, Derek Redmond explores why motivation drives success and how the lessons from sport translate directly into performance beyond the track. Derek builds this presentation around the Tokyo relay, using it as a case study in performance under scrutiny. He dissects the race in stages, revealing how preparation, clarity of role and mental strength determine outcomes when the pressure is high. He draws clear parallels between elite sport and business; in both arenas, individuals train for years for moments that define reputations. Derek explores critical moments to understand behaviour, emotional intelligence and decision making. He introduces recognised profiling tools, including PPA and TIEQue, showing how understanding personality and mindset strengthens performance in boardrooms, classrooms and on the track. This session blends storytelling with practical insight, leaving audiences with a sharper understanding of how success is built and maintained step-by-step through motivation and inspiration.

Audience Takeaways

• Fresh perspective on motivation in sport and business
• Clear strategies for setting and committing to ambitious goals
• Insight into performance behaviours under pressure
• Stronger self-belief in competitive environments
• Practical lessons that translate from the track to everyday life