Denise Lewis has become a bit of a regular on our TV screens, especially on BBC's extensive coverage of the 2012 London Olympics.
Denise was inspired to become an Olympian at just eight years old as she watched the Moscow Olympics in 1980 and the seeds of ambition were planted. She was so enthralled by the performances of Daley Thompson and Sebastian Coe that she vowed to make it to the Olympics one day and be the best in the world.
A superb all-round talent, Denise has progressed to the highest world-class at the heptathlon, her best accolade to date, an Olympic gold medal, which she won at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
In the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada, Denise Lewis took her first major International title winning the women's heptathlon competition ahead of the Australian favourite, Jane Flemming.
Two years later, Denise won a Bronze medal in the Atlanta Olympics, the only British female to win a medal in these Games and in this same year broke the British record that had stood for ten years.
1997 saw her improve further by breaking her own British record and the Commonwealth record in her event before adding a Silver medal to her collection at the World Championships in Athens.
In 1998 Denise was runner up in BBC Sports Personality of the Year after winning both the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games.
Denise was awarded an MBE at the beginning of 1999 and later that year won the silver medal at the World Championships in Seville.
She broke her own British record again in 2000 but the highlight of Denise Lewis' career came at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 when despite an injured Achilles tendon Denise went on to win the heptathlon making her only the 6th British woman to win an Olympic Gold medal in the history of Track and Field.
Denise came second to Sir Steven Redgrave in the Sports Personality of the Year Awards and early in 2001 she was awarded an OBE from the Queen.
In 2004 Denise took part in the BBC1 Dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing. Partnered alongside professional dancer Ian Waite, she got to the final and was the runner-up.
Denise is currently a judge for BA's Great Britons Bursary Scheme, a School Sports Ambassador for the Youth Sports Trust and is also an Ambassador for International Inspiration, London 2012's international legacy programme for children and young people. International Inspiration uses the power of sport to transform the lives of millions of children and young people of all abilities, in schools and communities across the world, particularly in developing countries, through the power of high quality and inclusive physical education, sport and play.
Olympic Gold Medallist, Strictly Come Dancing star and 2012 Olympic Ambassador Denise Lewis is now available to book for motivational speeches. She tailors each speech to the specific client brief and is an inspiring, professional and extremely natural speaker.
Testimonials:
''Denises interaction with our hosts and delegates was nothing less than exemplary and we were inspired by her energy and genuine love for meeting people and sharing her amazing stories. She is a true inspiration and the feedback we have received from our hosts has been fantastic. We look forward to working with her again soon.''
Karen Moore Manager, Major Corporates, Corporate Markets Marketing, Lloyds Banking Group
''We have been organising and running major events for some years and engaged some high profile speakers, but Denise wowed our delegates like no other. Her sporting achievements and charity work are well known, but her ability to win over a demanding audience with charm and charisma and motivate them to be the best they can be is unsurpassed.''
Paul Surridge, Chief Executive, Sight Care Group
''Denise Lewis helped us to launch our sponsorship of London 2012 by making a motivational speech to our staff. She was an inspiration to all of us and her warmth, passion and infectious enthusiasm about the Olympics was the ideal way to start engaging our staff in this hugely exciting project. We are looking forward to a long relationship with her and are thrilled that she will be a part of our own Olympic journey.''
Chris Hale, Head of London 2012, InterContinental Hotel Group
Find out how to book Denise Lewis OBE as the sports speaker for your next event by calling SpeakOut! on 020 8914 8966 or clicking the button below.