Danny Crates

From Adversity to Gold: Unlocking Elite Performance in Business & Leadership

Speaker fees:

In-person: £3k-£5k
Virtual: £1k-£3k

Topics:

High-Performance & Leadership
2
World Class Event Host
2
Resilience Strategist

Danny is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, renowned for his dynamic stage presence, engaging delivery, and ability to captivate audiences. With over 25 years of experience, he has delivered impactful keynotes, leadership sessions, and corporate training to businesses, executives, and teams worldwide—helping them elevate their performance.

At just 21, Danny faced a life-altering challenge when he lost his right arm in a devastating accident. Refusing to let it define him, he embraced a positive mindset, focused on the future, and made a remarkable return to the rugby field within six months. Soon after, he transitioned into Paralympic sport, where he rapidly ascended to the top—winning bronze in Sydney 2000 then gold in the 800 metres at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games and setting a new world record that same year. His decorated career saw him claim every major title in the sport, including the World Championships, European Championships, and Paralympic World Cup. Two decades on, he still holds the British 400 & 800m record. 

Danny’s impact extended beyond competition. He was honoured as Great Britain’s flag bearer at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Opening Ceremony and played a key role as a London 2012 Ambassador, helping bring the Games to the UK. 

Since retiring from international athletics, Danny has become a highly sought-after keynote speaker, known for his dynamic stage presence, engaging delivery, and ability to captivate audiences. He has delivered impactful keynotes, leadership sessions, and corporate training worldwide for over 25 years, working with businesses, executives, and teams to elevate their performance.

All of Danny’s keynotes include a complimentary downloadable workbook and the option to include a high-performance workshop alongside the keynote. Ensuring that every delegate can engage with and apply the strategies shared during his presentation. This resource extends the learning beyond the event, equipping attendees with practical tools for long-term high-performance strategies.

Key Areas of Expertise

✅ Resilience & Overcoming Adversity – Harnessing a champion’s mindset to navigate challenges.
✅ High-Performance Leadership – Driving success through focus, adaptability, and discipline.
✅ Corporate Resilience & Change Management – Equipping businesses with the tools to thrive in uncertainty.
✅ Peak Performance Strategies – Cultivating habits and mindsets for sustained excellence.

Book Danny Crates

Featured topics include

What does it take to consistently perform at the highest level? In this dynamic and engaging keynote, Danny Crates unpacks the fundamental principles of high performance, drawing on his experiences as a Paralympic gold medallist and elite athlete. He reveals how the mindset, discipline, and strategies used in world-class sport can be applied to business, leadership, and personal growth.

By exploring the key components of success—mindset, resilience, teamwork, goal-setting, and adaptability—Danny provides a practical blueprint for individuals and teams to unlock their full potential and thrive under pressure.

Attendees will learn:

✅ The essential traits that define high performers in sport and business

✅ How to build a resilient mindset and maintain focus in high-pressure situations

✅ The role of goal-setting and marginal gains in driving sustained success

✅ How to foster a winning culture within teams and organizations

Attendees will gain clear, actionable strategies that can be implemented immediately to enhance performance, drive results, and create a culture of continuous improvement within their teams and organisations.

In today’s fast-paced and unpredictable world, resilience is the key to sustained success. In this inspiring keynote, Danny Crates shares powerful insights on how to develop a resilient mindset that allows individuals and teams to adapt, thrive, and excel—no matter what challenges come their way. Drawing from his own journey of overcoming adversity to become a Paralympic champion, Danny reveals practical strategies for managing change, staying focused under pressure, and turning setbacks into opportunities for growth.

Attendees will learn:

✅ How to embrace change with confidence and agility

✅ The power of mindset in overcoming obstacles and adversity

✅ Proven strategies to build mental toughness and emotional resilience

✅ How to stay motivated and perform at their best, even in uncertain times

Attendees will leave with a clear framework for adapting to change, managing pressure, and developing the mental agility needed to lead in dynamic business environments. These strategies can be applied immediately to enhance decision-making, productivity, and team resilience.

Success—whether in sport, business, or life—is not built on talent alone. It requires a structured approach, a clear purpose, and the right mindset. In this powerful keynote, Danny Crates shares his 5 Pillars of Performance, a proven framework that has driven him to Paralympic gold and helped countless individuals and teams achieve excellence.

By breaking down the essential elements of peak performance—Goals, Purpose, The Roadmap, The Team, and Incremental Gains—Danny provides a practical and inspiring guide to achieving sustained success. He explores how high performers set meaningful goals, build strong support networks, create clear action plans, and leverage small, consistent improvements to reach the top.

Attendees will learn:

✅ Goals: Setting ambitious yet achievable targets to drive motivation and focus.

✅ Purpose/Why: Understanding the deeper reason behind your ambitions to fuel resilience and commitment.

✅ The Roadmap: Developing a clear plan to navigate challenges and stay on course.

✅ The Team: Harnessing the power of collaboration, trust, and support for success.

✅ Incremental Gains: Unlocking the power of small improvements that lead to big results.

This keynote equips individuals, leaders, and teams with the tools and strategies needed to elevate performance, take ownership of their journey, and apply elite performance principles to their own success.

Danny is an experienced event host and corporate MC, bringing energy, charisma, and seamless professionalism to conferences, panel discussions, awards ceremonies, and executive summits. His ability to connect with audiences, engage speakers, and ensure smooth event execution makes him the perfect host for high-profile corporate events.

What people say

Danny provided an incredible motivational session, adapted to benefit our colleagues in Europe during a period of change. He emphasised key themes around resilience, teamwork and converting challenges into manageable goals for positive outcomes. Our colleagues appreciated his friendly, open and humorous delivery of highly complex and emotive themes and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. I would recommend Danny if you’re looking to reset and refresh your culture.

Rachel Clarkson, DEI and Colleague Engagement Manager

Danny Crates’ presentation at our recent leadership conference was exceptional and left a lasting impact on our team. He masterfully weaved in all the key points regarding fostering a culture of continuous improvement, emphasising the importance of marginal gains, and inspiring us with his personal story.

Cox automotive

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