Danny Crates

summary

Announcing Danny Crates!  One of the world’s most inspiring athletes of the modern era.

Recently retired from International competition the former T46 arm amputee, 2004 Paralympic Champion, European Champion, Paralympic World Cup winner and world record holder has some magnificent achievements and an amazing story to share.

Simply put, Danny is one of life’s natural characters and will speak openly and from the heart. Danny shares his experiences readily with others, from young schoolchildren to seasoned corporate executives. As a winner and achiever, Danny is an excellent speaker and motivator. His vast experience of making keynote speeches, his natural, charm, humour and ability to tailor his delivery to suit the needs of the client provide that additional impact required to make any event or conference one to remember!

biography

Announcing Danny Crates!  One of the world’s most inspiring athletes of the modern era.

Recently retired from International competition the former T46 arm amputee, 2004 Paralympic Champion, European Champion, Paralympic World Cup winner and world record holder has some amazing achievements and an even more amazing story to share.

In his 36 years he has had more experiences than most people manage in a lifetime.  Facing a promising rugby career, playing at both regional and county level, Danny suffered an horrific accident in 1994 whilst travelling and working in Australia, losing his right arm.

Not to be deterred, Danny resumed his rugby activities, becoming the only known arm amputee playing club rugby in the country, receiving worldwide media attention.  He also turned his attention to athletics.  As a natural speedster, he soon found that he was competing with the best in the World in his event, the T46 400m arm amputee class.  In the 1998 World Championships, Danny made his international debut, by reaching the 400m final and winning a silver medal in the 4 x 400m relay event in a new European record time. Danny’s potential was also recognised in the Paralympic Games Sydney 2000, where he was narrowly beaten, into the bronze medal position in the 400m. Danny also captured the European 400m title in 2001.

Danny is now an 800m runner - a great move which resulted in him capturing both the 2003 World Indoor 800m title and European 800m outdoor titles.  In 2004 he set a new world outdoor record and become the 2004 Paralympic champion. After Athens Danny set his sights firmly on the 2006 world championships.  Taking the gold medal, Danny can now claim to have achieved at every major level of paralympic athletics. Or as he likes to put it “the icing on his career cake!”

Danny has always continued to take a positive outlook on life since his accident, including returning to Australia with a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship, to study diving for the disabled. Here he qualified as a diving instructor, which led to Danny sharing a tank with 20 sharks four times a day whilst working at the Great Yarmouth Sea life Centre.

Having fulfilled his burning ambition to take the Gold medal in Athens 2004, Danny was looking forward to defending his title in Beijing 2008.  Sadly however Danny, who had been given the honour of carrying the GB flag at the Opening ceremony but was unable compete due to an injury sustained the day before his race. Danny reluctantly retired from International competition in July 2009 but now has his sights firmly set on becoming one of Britain’s top platform motivational speakers

Simply put, Danny is one of life’s natural characters and will speak openly and from the heart. Danny shares his experiences readily with others, from young schoolchildren to seasoned corporate executives.  As a winner and achiever, Danny is an excellent speaker and motivator. His vast experience of making keynote speeches, his natural, charm, humour and ability to tailor his delivery to suit the needs of the client provide that additional impact required to make any event or conference one to remember!

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Testimonials

“Danny was inspirational. Whether talking to children or presenting to adults he had the audience riveted, and we have already received a number of requests from other organisations keen to work with him.”
Bob Diamond Medway 2012 Manager Jan 2007

“Danny Crates simultaneously charmed and inspired our audience by sharing with us the seriousness of his tenacity and will to succeed with sparkle and a terrific sense of humour! He is an inspiring and professional speaker and shows great intuition in matching the environment as a speaker. He has a wonderful personality that comes through during his speech and his contact with the audience following the speech. Feedback from our participants was overwhelmingly positive!”
Brydie Lear
GOLD (Global Organisational Leadership development) Program Coordinator
Atos Origin International BV Sept 2006

“Danny always presents a very positive picture of competing at international level, and captures the audience throughout the presentation with strong messages about participation in sport. He is always well prepared for each event and can be flexible and adaptable if needed. His content and delivery are always excellent and we will be using him again!”
Russell Everard
Braintree District Council October 06

“Danny Crates - great! Worth the whole day. Please find more like this - not education, just pure inspiration - superb!!”
Essex Primary Headteachers Association March 2006

“Danny offered an inspirational and personal insight into the Olympic Experience. He was able to contextualise the event in terms of the benefits that London 2012 may bring to Colchester its people and its communities He was adaptable and understood the context and depth of presentation required.”

Colchester 2020 Assembly March 2006

“Danny was a reliable honest interesting a truly inspirational speaker who engaged the audience with humour , interest while delivering the messages we asked of him. Great person to have at any event we would certainly recommend him to others.”
The Chelmsford Partnership April 2006

“Compelling, has the ability to deliver a serious message with humour and sensitivity”
Essex Police, Hate Crime Menace in Society Campaign Launch

“In 45 minutes Danny inspired, motivated and won the admiration of our students. His positive attitude, determination, commitment to his sport and sense of fun shone through in his presentation.
We will definitely invite him back again.”
Oldham College, August 05

“Danny was warm, down to earth and approachable. His presentation held the attention of children and adults alike, and was entertaining and inspiring to listen to. Danny’s obvious enjoyment of life and sport shone through as did his positive attitude and we couldn’t have been more impressed.”
Eureka. The Museum for Children Discovery July 05

“Danny Crates was awesome and very motivational for the young athletes”.
Thurrock Council Sports Awards Evening July 05

“Thank you for your most entertaining and enthralling after dinner speech. Over the years we have had a variety of speakers, current high performers ex athletes who are now TV/Radio commentators: but never one with such a bright and vital style.”
Woodford Green Athletic Club 2004

“Your address was powerful, humorous positive, and you reinforced the belief that no disability or hardship is a reason to give up”
Connexions and Careers Management Conference 2004

“Marvellous, Compelling, Charming”
BBC Correspondent Nicholas Witchell 2004

“Danny was superb, he was able to lighten the mood without deflecting from the serious message, we would like to use him again and again”
Scope ‘Tell it like it is’ Launch 03

“His Natural enthusiasm energy and embrace for life shines through and I found him very inspirational”
Lesley Morris Attitudes- specialist in performance management at the Business and Professional Women UK Limited launch 2003