Tessa Sanderson

Tessa Sanderson CBE is Britain's only Olympic throwing gold medallist, a six-time Olympian, and the first Black British woman to win Olympic gold. Across 26 years of elite competition, she earned three Commonwealth golds, a World Cup gold, and numerous national honours, including her CBE for services to sport. Now founder of the Tessa Sanderson Sports Foundation and former Vice Chair of Sport England, Tessa delivers motivational keynotes that equip teams with resilience, focus, and the mindset needed to achieve excellence in any arena.

Sustaining excellence under pressure, maintaining focus across decades of competition, and translating hard-won lessons into meaningful change for others are challenges that define true sporting greatness. Tessa Sanderson CBE is an Olympic gold medallist, six-time Olympian, and one of Britain's most celebrated athletes. She made history in 1984 when she became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal for Great Britain, and she remains the only British athlete, male or female, to win an Olympic throwing gold, a record that has stood for 40 years. Tessa specialises in motivational speaking, leadership, and resilience, drawing on her remarkable 26-year international athletics career to inspire audiences across corporate, sporting, and public sector environments.

Tessa's credentials reflect both sporting brilliance and sustained contribution beyond the track. She competed in six Olympic Games between 1976 and 1996, won three Commonwealth gold medals, and claimed World Cup gold in Cuba in 1990. Her achievements earned her an MBE in 1985, an OBE in 1997 for her charity work, and a CBE in 2004 for her services to sport and her role as Vice Chairman of Sport England, a position she held for six years. Tessa has been recognised with the Sunday Times Lifetime Achievement Award, three Athlete of the Year titles from the Athletics Writers Association, and honorary degrees from Birmingham, South Bank, and Wolverhampton universities. She founded the Tessa Sanderson Sports Foundation and Academy in Newham and served as a board member of the Olympic Park Legacy Company, helping shape the lasting impact of London 2012. Her media work spans BBC, ITV, Sky, and TalkSport, and she remains active as an ambassador for Women in Sport, now serving as President, and as Patron of Adoption UK. In 2022, she was a village mayor for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and received the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of her contribution to sport and society.

Tessa's keynote presentations, including her signature talk Path to Glory, take audiences on her journey from school days to Olympic triumph, offering practical insights into teambuilding, resilience, health and fitness, and diversity. She connects personal experience with universal principles, helping organisations and teams understand how to perform under pressure, overcome setbacks, and build cultures of excellence and inclusion. Whether delivering motivational keynotes, hosting awards, or leading after-dinner sessions, Tessa brings warmth, authenticity, and energy that leave audiences inspired and equipped to pursue their own goals with renewed focus and determination.