Derek Redmond

Derek Redmond is a revered mental health advocate, best known for his successful sporting career. Having developed a remarkable career, he appeared at world-recognised events such as the Olympic Games, alongside the European and World Championships. Utilising his performance management knowledge to create a career in the corporate industry, Derek was formerly the Group Performance Director of Thomas International, the world’s largest psychometric assessment organisation. Renowned for the illustrious career he has developed over recent years, Derek has become a popular choice for speaking events to share his specialist knowledge on topics such as resilience, dealing with change, and diversity and inclusion.

Securing his first British record in 1985 for the 400m, Derek was selected to join Team GB. The following year, he claimed Gold at the 1986 European Championships in the 4x400m relay, an appearance which allowed his to showcase his natural gift and become a leading figure in the industry. An empowering sportsman, Derek competed in the World Championship in the 4x400m and achieved Gold at the Tokyo World Championships. Having developed a remarkable career, he was struck by an injury and was forced to take a step back from the sports world. Prepared to make his final track appearance, Derek, unfortunately, suffered from a torn hamstring which resulted in his iconic finish line struggle with his father.

Learning to put his mental and physical well-being first, Derek developed an illustrious career in performance management and high-performance coaching. A revered businessman, he has fulfilled high-profile roles such as becoming the Director of Development for UK Athletics, the CEO of Olympex, and a proud Board Member and Ambassador for Nike. Utilising his personal experiences to help others, Derek has become the proud Author of ‘Sport Is Business and Business Is Sport’. An inspiration to audiences around the world, he shares how he pushes his mental resilience to extremes in all aspects of life to audiences at a wide range of speaking events.

An incredibly successful professional, Derek Redmond is now highly sought-after to attend speaking engagements internationally. Renowned for sharing his Olympic Injury journey, he aims to raise awareness of the effects mental health issues can have on performance, and the techniques he used to ensure he remained motivated during hard situations. Another issue he touches upon is the discrimination crime he experienced. In an interracial marriage, Derek had a bomb posted through his letterbox, a horrific hate crime which has changed his mindset forever. A strong-willed individual, Derek is a must-see speaker for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

In November 2023 we sat down virtually with Derek Redmond and discussed how he kept motivated throughout the dark times in his career and how he managed stress and pressure leading up to his races. Watch our Exclusive Interview with Derek Redmond.