Anna Hemmings MBE

Anna Hemmings MBE is best known as Britain’s most successful female marathon kayaker, a 2 time Olympian and 6 times World Champion.

Anna continues to inspire audiences with anecdotes from the World Championship and Olympic Games; hers is really a tale of triumph over adversity… In April 2003 Anna was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and told by medical experts she might never race again. But Anna battled her way to full recovery and between 2005 and 2007 she went on to win three world titles in a row and compete at her second Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. Anna has a staggering eleven World and European Championship medals.

Anna’s achievements were recognised at the Sunday Times Sports Woman of the Year Awards, where she won the 2005 Champions Award and then again in 2007 when she was voted BBC London Sports Personality of the Year.  She was then awarded an MBE in the 2010 New Year’s honours list for her services to sport.

Anna has a proven track record as an accomplished, entertaining and humble speaker. Her fascinating journey has been enjoyed by thousands across different industries from banking and telecoms, to healthcare and retail. Anna shares the insights and strategies that helped her reach the highest level, deal with adversity and return to the pinnacle of her sport again.

If you want a speaker who motivates, captivates and engages then Anna is your lady. Her inspirational story makes audiences walk away feeling energised with a renewed desire to improve, teams want to connect and collaborate and leaders want to challenge and engage. Anna makes sure that she has a clear understanding of the audience, the company and their industry; ensuring that each speech is designed and made specifically for the client. Anna’s story translates well into every arena because she has the ability to interact with a wide range of individuals and inspire all types of audiences.

Anna presented to an international audience of 250 Sony staff. She is a brilliant speaker – the audience was completely engaged, inspired and motivated – I was spellbound. The feedback was the best I’ve ever had. Anna has the ability to tell a great story whilst making useful connections to personal and business issues.