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Karenjeet Kaur Bains is a powerhouse in both sport and advocacy. As the first British Sikh female Commonwealth Powerlifting Champion, she has forged a unique space for herself as a trailblazer, now balancing her athletic achievements with her growing influence as a racial equality speaker. Currently, she is known to millions as Athena on BBC’s Gladiators, a role through which she continues to break barriers and champion representation. Karenjeet draws heavily on her lived experiences — navigating elite sport as a woman of colour in a traditionally white, male-dominated field — to speak powerfully on women’s empowerment, diversity and inclusion, motivation, and accountability. Her story resonates deeply with audiences seeking authentic voices on equality and representation.
Karenjeet’s journey began in powerlifting at a young age, fuelled by her determination and the support of her Sikh heritage. In 2017, she made her international debut at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships, representing Great Britain, where she claimed gold. This milestone laid the foundation for her becoming the first British Sikh woman to compete internationally in powerlifting by 2019. Her early achievements include winning the English Powerlifting Championship in 2017, the Midlands Championship in 2018, and delivering a bold and empowering TEDx talk, I’m Taking My Body Back, in 2016 — a declaration of ownership over her identity, image, and voice.
Karenjeet has continued to dominate the sport, earning the title of British Powerlifting Record Holder in 2021 and winning the National Powerlifting Championship in 2022. Most recently, she was honoured with the ‘Athlete of the Year’ award by British Powerlifting for both 2023 and 2024, recognising not just her strength, but her leadership and role-modelling impact. Her appointment as Athena on Gladiators has catapulted her influence beyond sport, making her a familiar face in British popular culture and further elevating her platform to discuss inclusion, equality, and representation.
As a speaker, Karenjeet delivers compelling insights into breaking barriers, overcoming bias, and finding strength through adversity. Her key topics — Women’s Empowerment, Diversity and Inclusion, Motivation, and Accountability — are enriched by her personal journey of rising through a system where she often stood alone. Her focus on racial equality is not theoretical; it is lived, fought for, and continuously demonstrated. Karenjeet is hired because she does more than speak — she represents, she inspires, and she leads, making her a vital voice in today’s conversations around race, gender, and equity.
Karenjeet Kaur Bains is regularly booked to engage audiences at events, read their latest feedback below:
“Karenjeet was a pleasure to work with- well organised and prepared. She delivered an engaging speech and was pleased to interact with our delegates and answer their questions. Her presentation style is very professional and engaging, and we will certainly look to use her for future events!”
“Karenjeet left you with a feeling that you really can do anything you put your mind to. I would highly recommend her if you’re thinking of someone with high impact, high energy whose energy and soul shine through to inspire action and change. We can’t wait to see her again.”
“I would highly recommend anyone who wants to showcase how women can break down barriers, show resilience and be successful should book Karenjeet as their next keynote speaker!”
“Karenjeet was a fantastic speaker – engaging, motivational and incredibly relatable. Her story resonated strongly with our audience, and her professionalism throughout made the entire process seamless. We would highly recommend her for future events.”
The BAME Speakers Agency has been one of the UK’s leading bureaus for Black, Asian and minority ethnic speakers since 2020. We supply speakers for corporate and public events across the world, and cater to both in-person occasions and online webinars.
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