Sarah Storey OBE

summary

Sarah is Great Britain’s most decorated, currently competing, female Paralympians and after winning 5 gold, 8 silver and 3 bronze over 4 Paralympic Games as a swimmer, switched sports in 2005 and went on to win double gold as a cyclist in Beijing in 2008. Following on from her Beijing success, Sarah became the 1st Paralympian to win an individual able-bodied national title, when she won gold in the 3,000m Individual Pursuit at the 2008 National Track Championships in Manchester. Sarah successfully defended this title at the 2009 National Track Championships in Manchester.

Sarah links the lessons she has learnt through sport to improving any aspect of your life or business. In a world where the smallest margins are the difference between winning and losing [Sarah won the 3,000m in Beijing by just 23 one hundredths of a second], this woman can explain what it takes to has push our body and mind to their limits in order to achieve against the odds.

biography

Sarah Storey OBE

Sarah is Great Britain’s most decorated, currently competing, female Paralympians and after winning 5 gold, 8 silver and 3 bronze over 4 Paralympic Games as a swimmer, switched sports in 2005 and went on to win double gold as a cyclist in Beijing in 2008. Following on from her Beijing success, Sarah also became the 1st Paralympian to win an individual able-bodied national title, when she won gold in the 3,000m Individual Pursuit at the 2008 National Track Championships in Manchester. Sarah successfully defended this title at the 2009 National Track Championships in Manchester. In 2009,

Sarah also did a unique double at both the World Road Championships and World Track Championships when she won both the Road Time Trial and Road Race, as well as the 3,000m Individual Pursuit and 500m Time Trial dominating her LC1 class. During the Track Championships, Sarah further lowered her own world record in the 3,000m to clock a time of 3.34.266, a time that now places her firmly inside the top 5 female pursuiters in the world, regardless of disability.

Sarah is now hoping to qualify for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 and targets the able-bodied world record over the 3,000m as her long term goal.

Sarah is an articulate and accomplished individual who swam at world-class level from 1992-2005, following which she made her debut for the British Cycling team, winning 5 gold medals and breaking 1 world record, at the 2005 European Championships. After officially changing sports in 2005, Sarah won 1 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze at her first IPC World Cycling Championships in 2006 and also, within the space of 26 days, Sarah broke the 3,000m Individual Pursuit world record, for her LC1 class, on no less than 3 occasions. In 2007, despite breaking her left collar bone the week before the competition, Sarah won the World Championship gold medal in the LC1 women’s 3,000m Individual Pursuit, further lowering her own world record by 3 seconds in the process, she also picked up a bronze medal in the 500m Time Trial for good measure. Throughout her career, Sarah has broken a world record on no less than 70 occasions!

Sarah has travelled the world as an ambassador for disabled sport, was awarded the MBE in the 1998 New Years Honours List for her services to swimming for people with disabilities and then received an OBE in the 2009 New Years Honours List for her services to disabled sport.

Throughout her career, Sarah has been awarded many different prestigious awards in recognition of her excellent results within sport. These awards include the following highlights:

1992 Manchester Evening News Sports Personality of the Year
1992 Sunday Times Schoolgirl of the Year
1996 Sunday Times Student Sportswoman of the Year
1996 Bill Mc Gowan Trophy awarded by Sports Journalist Association
2003 BBC North West Disability Sports Personality of the Year
2003 Honorary MSc degree from Manchester Metropolitan University
2007 Local Hero Award for Macclesfield Borough
2009 Honorary Doctorate from Manchester Metropolitan University
2009 Sunday Times Disability Sportswoman of the Year

Sarah finished 2009 by becoming the first signing of the new women’s Horizon Fitness Kona team and will be competing for the team at home in the UK and on the continent.

Sarah has vast experience of making keynote speeches and presentations at corporate events and business conferences. Her motivating style and enthusiastic approach uplifts every audience and with her insightful approach to life she never fails to leave anyone who listens to her excited and ready to get on with the job!

Sarah is well informed and able to tailor presentations to suit the needs of the client.  She has the ability to interact with a wide range of people and is comfortable in any environment, from workshops and motivational speaking for corporate markets to keynote addresses such as the prestigious athlete appreciation speech at the 2003 Coach Hall of Fame luncheon.  She also has extensive experience of media work and is a very popular speaker at schools both in the classroom and on the stage at academic or sporting awards evenings.

Sarah delivers stories from her sporting career so far, and talks about the highs and lows of competing on an international stage. Sarah links the lessons she has learnt through sport to improving any aspect of your life or business. In a world where the smallest margins are the difference between winning and losing, this woman can explain what it takes to has push our body and mind to their limits in order to achieve against the odds.

Sarah is married and lives in Manchester with her husband and fellow cyclist Barney Storey MBE

photos

Testimonials

‘A wonderful inspirational speech I was spellbound’
Kate Hoey

‘Inspirational, truly magnificent, confident, assertive and challenging. She made a lasting impact!’
Rotary National Conference 2002

“I thought it was so powerful how Sarah lifted us up with her achievements of getting the Gold medals, then dropped us with the story of the university coach. I felt the room go “thud” with horror. Her message was so strong. She was so inspiring and the message wasn’t just about equality, she also motivated people to “take charge” and follow their dreams - I felt this could be applied to all sorts of things such as having a goal at work and using personal ambition to achieve it - not sitting back and waiting for others do it for you.”
Torbay Council Conference on Equality and Diversity “Take Charge - Putting Policy into Practice March 04”

‘Proabably one of the most engaging speakers we have used. Inspirational.’
Gary Cannon
YH Regional Conference Student Voice 2012 Games