Speaker fees:
Topics:
Robin Tarr PLY is a Paralympian, former Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby Captain and one of the UK’s most inspiring speakers on resilience, leadership and overcoming adversity.
Robin’s life changed forever in 1981 when a devastating road traffic accident left him paralysed after suffering a severe spinal cord injury. Faced with the news that he would never walk again, he spent months in hospital before beginning the long journey of rebuilding his life and adapting to a new reality.
Rather than allowing his circumstances to define him, Robin channelled his determination into sport. Discovering Wheelchair Rugby in its early years, he quickly established himself as one of the country’s leading players and became a founding member of the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby Team. Over the course of an exceptional international career, he represented Great Britain at every major championship, including three Paralympic Games, three World Championships and three European Championships, ultimately captaining the national team at the Athens Paralympic Games.
Today, Robin shares the lessons he has learned from elite sport, leadership and life-changing adversity. Through powerful storytelling and practical insights, he inspires audiences to embrace change, develop resilience, build high-performing teams and unlock their full potential.
His engaging, down-to-earth style resonates with corporate organisations, educational institutions, charities and community groups alike. Audiences leave with a renewed appreciation for perseverance, teamwork, accountability and the mindset required to overcome challenges and achieve success.
Life rarely goes exactly to plan. In this inspiring keynote, Robin Tarr PLY shares his personal journey from life-changing injury to becoming a Paralympian and captain of the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby team. Through powerful stories and practical lessons, he demonstrates how adversity can become a catalyst for growth, resilience and achievement.
How to maintain perspective during challenging times
Building resilience and mental toughness
Adapting to change when circumstances are beyond your control
Turning setbacks into opportunities for growth
The importance of teamwork and support networks in overcoming adversity
This keynote is ideal for organisations navigating change, teams facing pressure and individuals seeking inspiration to overcome personal or professional challenges.
Success is never achieved alone. Drawing on his experiences as a Paralymian and former captain of the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby team, Robin Tarr PLY reveals the key ingredients behind building and sustaining high-performing teams. From trust and communication to accountability and shared purpose, he explores what enables individuals to come together, overcome challenges and achieve extraordinary results.
Through inspiring stories from elite sport and practical insights that translate directly to the workplace, Robin demonstrates how strong teams create a culture where everyone can perform at their best and contribute to collective success.
Audience Takeaways
This keynote is ideal for organisations looking to strengthen teamwork, improve collaboration and create a winning culture that drives long-term success.
Great leaders understand that success is built through people. In this engaging and inspiring keynote, Robin Tarr PLY draws on his experience captaining the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby team to share the principles of effective leadership and team-building in high-pressure environments.
Robin explores how leaders can unite individuals around a common goal, foster trust and accountability, and create a culture where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. Through powerful stories from elite sport and lessons learned through overcoming adversity, he demonstrates how strong leadership can transform teams and unlock exceptional performance.
Audience Takeaways
This keynote is ideal for leaders, managers and teams seeking to strengthen collaboration, improve performance and build a culture of trust, resilience and shared achievement.
In this inspiring keynote, Robin Tarr PLY takes audiences behind the scenes of one of the greatest achievements in British Paralympic sport. As a key member of the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby team, Robin played a pivotal role in securing the nation’s first-ever Paralymic gold medal in the sport at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Sharing the highs, lows and defining moments of the journey, Robin reveals the dedication, resilience and teamwork required to reach the pinnacle of elite sport. From overcoming setbacks and adapting to challenges, to performing under immense pressure on the world stage, this powerful story demonstrates what is possible when individuals and teams commit to a shared goal.
Packed with inspiration and practical lessons, Robin’s journey offers valuable insights for organisations, leaders and teams striving to achieve success in their own fields.
Audience Takeaways
This keynote is ideal for organisations looking to inspire their people, drive performance and demonstrate what can be achieved through determination, teamwork and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Rob Tarr brings a breath of fresh air to School Assemblies. He has a friendly, down to earth manner that immediately engages students whatever their age. From him you learn about the incredibly exciting world of wheelchair rugby- (be warned he does come with incredible video footage!); you learn about the world of the Paralympian, and the dedication, hard work and sheer determination that is required to progress and be successful. Pulling no punches, Rob will talk about why he is wheelchair-bound and the problems he confronts on a daily basis. However, what come through is a determination to succeed, and a willingness to face life’s ups and downs head-on. While speaking at Carlton-le-Willows to a group of Sixth Formers, Rob spoke forthrightly, answering every question that came his way; he was prepared even when the talk was over to stay behind to chat over issues raised in his initial address. I highly recommend Rob for Assemblies, P.H.S.C.E., Citizenship Lessons, indeed for any talks where inspiration is required!
Nottingham Trent University delivers the oldest sports module in the UK, which addresses the area of Sports for People with a disability. An essential part of the development of this module is a series of presentations by outside elite performers in different sports. Rob Tarr – ex GB Wheelchair Rugby Captain – has been an integral part of this programme for many years and has proved very popular with the students. He is reliable, genuine and presents in relaxed manner so the students gain an in-depth appreciation of the sport of Wheelchair Rugby and the range of contemporary issues surrounding it. Any audience will be intrigued by the insight Rob develops into this exciting Paralympic Sports. Along the way he is also excellent at providing direct and indirect understanding into the challenges of living with his specific impairment through the social model of disability.
