Denise Lewis

Fantastic British athlete, Denise Lewis OBE has achieved plenty in her career. From becoming an Olympic champion at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games to securing two gold medals in Commonwealth Games, the legendary heptathlete spent over a decade at the pinnacle of her sport. Now a popular TV pundit on BBC Sport, Denise has become a highly sought-after BAME speaker who champions the importance of teaching black history and understanding each other despite race, culture or ethnicity.

In the late 90s and early noughties, Denise was at her sporting peak earning medals at the World Championships and becoming European Champion. In 1996 she earned her first Olympic medal with a bronze in Atlanta but was not satisfied. Determined to achieve her life-long dream she dedicated the next four years to a rigorous training regime giving herself the very best chance of success. In 1998, Denise became the European Champion in Budapest and then clinched gold at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. A sure sign of things to come, in 2000 she headed to the Olympics in Sydney in fine form. Following all seven events, Denise had an unassailable lead ahead by 53 points, which ensured that she took home Olympic gold. Her personal best score of 6831 points is a former British record and she ranks third on the all-time British list. At her BAME speaking events, Denise can wow audiences with her tales from the Olympics explaining not only what it was like representing her country, but also black athletes everywhere.

Since retiring from the sport after the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Denise has become a regular pundit on BBC Sport covering some of the world’s biggest athletics events. Her relaxed and warm on-screen persona made her an instant hit with audiences and she soon became a popular TV personality appearing on the likes of Strictly Come Dancing, The Chase and Family Fortunes. When booked as a BAME speaker Denise can combine her expert insight and warm personality to delight audiences everywhere. As a black woman who excelled in the sporting sphere, she can also inspire the next generation of black athletes by showing them what is possible if you put your mind to it.