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Kate Richardson-Walsh is the most capped female hockey player in British history and captained the GB and England women’s hockey teams for 13 years.
A truly inspirational and charismatic leader, she is widely recognised for shaping the exceptional team spirit and commitment that helped propel the GB team to a dramatic Olympic gold medal victory in Rio.
In doing so, Kate also made history in another powerful way, becoming one half of the first same-sex married couple to win Olympic medals as teammates.
Since retiring from international hockey after Rio, Kate has focused her energy on coaching, grassroots development and sharing the lessons of leadership, performance and teamwork from her elite sporting career.
She is also a highly experienced motivational speaker. Over 17 years at the top of her sport, Kate encountered both career highs and crushing lows, playing in teams that thrived and others that struggled with deep-rooted challenges.
Bringing this breadth of experience into the corporate world, Kate explores the key behaviours and processes that underpin high-performing teams. She speaks to the importance of co-creating a shared vision, values and team behaviours that everyone owns, and how developing deep self-awareness within individuals empowers them to contribute fully to a common goal.
Kate also reflects on the roles and responsibilities within a team, the resilience required to perform under pressure, and the psychological tools her teams used to enhance cohesion. She speaks openly about difference within teams and how they harnessed this diversity as a real strength.
Olympic gold and bronze medallist Kate Richardson-Walsh draws on her 18-year career at the highest level of international hockey to share transformative insights on building high-performing teams. Through honest reflections on both success and struggle, Kate explores the key drivers of team excellence—from creating a shared vision, values and behaviours to fostering self-awareness, personal responsibility, and a deep sense of belonging.
As captain of the GB women’s hockey team for 13 years, Kate offers powerful personal perspectives on leadership, resilience, trust, and inclusion. Her message centres on the strength that comes from individuals and teams who truly know and value themselves and each other.
Making history in Rio, playing alongside her wife Helen, they became the first same sex couple to win Olympic gold on the same team. Kate’s lived experience, passion for inclusion more broadly drives her belief that our differences can be our greatest strength.
Kate brings energy and relatability to every setting—whether addressing large audiences, smaller teams, or online groups. With extensive experience across the UK and internationally, she tailors her sessions—be it a keynote, interactive workshop, or Q&A—to deliver lasting impact.
After finishing 11th out of 12 at the 2014 Hockey World Cup, the GB Women’s Hockey Team underwent a remarkable culture shift that ultimately led to Olympic gold in 2016. Kate, as captain, shares the strategies behind that transformation—how to build a winning mindset, develop team-wide accountability, and embed values and behaviours that unlock collective potential. Ideal for organisations navigating change or aiming to elevate performance through culture.
Kate offers a compelling view of authentic leadership in action—rooted in empathy, resilience, and trust. Kate, captain for 13 years and chosen by her teammates, reflects on vulnerability, leading under pressure, earning trust, and navigating setbacks. Her experiences offer valuable lessons for today’s leaders seeking to foster inclusive, high-trust environments.
Having made history as the first same sex couple to win Olympic gold in Rio, Kate speaks authentically about the value of inclusion and psychological safety in unlocking individual and team performance. She shares how being able to bring her whole self to the team environment helped her thrive—and how organisations can create similarly inclusive cultures. Her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, inclusion across the board and visible leadership has had a wide-reaching impact in sport and beyond.
With an 18-year international career, Kate understands the demands of staying at the top in uncertain environments—balancing performance expectations with limited funding, job insecurity, and mental health challenges. Their insights help teams manage pressure, embrace uncertainty, and maintain focus through adversity.
The GB team’s success was not just about tactics—it was built on values that were built by the team, for the team. Kate demonstrates how shared values drive alignment, resilience, and accountability across teams. Her message on the importance of translating values into living and breathing behaviours, habits and processes will resonate in all environments.
Kate’s experience with poor mental health and psychotherapy throughout her career is shared honestly and candidly. The importance to give time to recovery and preparation in high performance is an often overlooked piece of the excellence puzzle.
Kate’s role as captain and ambassador for women’s sport offers a strong example of female leadership in action. She speaks at major forums sharing perspectives on overcoming barriers, building confidence, and championing equity in leadership. Relevant for organisations investing in gender diversity and talent development.
Please could you pass on our huge thanks and a lot of love from our U80 for Kate? The session was more than we could have hoped, perfectly balanced and pitched and really authentic and engaging, we really couldn’t have hoped for anything better. Thank you for the honesty and openness.
Kate gave a great speech and was amazing with taking questions from the floor. She was happy to have photos with people and chat away to the students which they all loved.
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Inspirational Athletes connects schools & communities with elite athletes who inspire, motivate and engage young people through talks, workshops and sports sessions.
