Keynote SpeakersStef Reid MBE is a Paralympic medallist, world champion athlete, and motivational speaker who inspires audiences with insights on resilience, determination, and success.
She is a World Champion (2017), a four-time Paralympian, a triple Paralympic medallist (2008, 2012, 2016) and a five-time World Record Holder.
Stef Reid has an honours degree in biochemistry and, away from the track, works as a keynote speaker, broadcaster, executive coach, actor, and fashion model.
Stef was the first amputee to walk the London Fashion Week catwalk!
She competed in the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics and took part in the British reality show ‘Dancing on Ice‘ in 2022, reaching the quarter-finals and showing the world you can learn to skate with an artificial foot!
Stef was born in New Zealand to a Scottish father and English mother, grew up in Toronto, and moved to Dallas, Texas, with her Canadian husband before settling back in the UK in 2010.
People spotted Stef’s talent and passion for sport early, and at 12, she was already dreaming of playing rugby on the world stage. But at 15, Stef was involved in a boating accident and suffered severe propeller lacerations. Her life was saved, but her right foot was damaged beyond repair and amputated.
As a result, Stef shifted her focus from sports to her studies and graduated as valedictorian, earning a full academic scholarship to Queen’s University in Canada to study biochemistry.
While at Queen’s, Stef joined the university athletics team to see how fast she could run.
After graduating, Stef put her medical school plans on hold and gave her childhood dream of becoming a professional athlete one last chance!
After a glittering 18-year Paralympic career, Stef Reid announced her retirement from professional sport in June 2022 and is enjoying her new adventure.
“Stef Reid is phenomenal! Such powerful stories, so much energy, and so engaging. People are hanging off her every word!”
Barclays
Stef Reid MBE – Motivational Speaker:
As a professional motivational speaker, Stef has extensive experience presenting in a range of settings, from the big stage at Wembley Arena to intimate boardroom sessions.
Stef crafts every presentation uniquely for the event, and she works closely with clients to understand the audience’s needs.
Stef’s High Performance speaking topics include:
Harnessing the Power of Diversity and Inclusion:
Diversity has never been about ticking a box. High-performance systems and businesses know that the key to success lies in the quality and originality of their ideas. They also know that the best ideas come from a room full of diverse thinkers with diverse experiences. People with disabilities are naturally good at this. The world wasn’t made for us, so we learned to see and think differently because we had to.
But you don’t need a disability to do this well. We can all learn to move beyond our biases and assumptions. We can all unleash the power of our unique perspective and build a culture that encourages challenging questions and original thinking.
The Adaptive Mindset:
If you are content with your current circumstances, this isn’t the talk for you! But if you want to keep improving, you must keep adapting. The world never stops changing, so neither can you. It takes courage to experiment and to try something new.
Failure is not the opposite of success. The opposite of success is doing the same thing over and over. Failure teaches us how to succeed when failure is not an option. Adapting can be exhausting and frustrating… or the adventure of a lifetime!
How to be Resilient:
This practical talk explores what it takes to find your inner grit. Life is hard. We have all faced challenges at work and in our personal lives. Becoming an amputee after a freak boating accident showed Stef that life does not always go to plan. We can’t always choose our circumstances, but we can always choose our response.
Eighteen years in elite sport have taught Stef that motivation and resilience are key to high performance in every area of life. Especially if you want sustained high performance, anyone can get lucky once. This is a talk about consistently maximising potential.
Mental Health and Well-Being:
High-performing bodies are not just for athletes. High-performing bodies are necessary for anyone with an idea or a goal. Our bodies matter because they bring our ideas to life. Our mental health matters because big goals take time, and we need to protect our capacity to ride out the bumps.
Our bodies are amazing, but they have limits, and we need to understand them to maximise our potential. Several user manuals already exist. We don’t struggle with a lack of knowledge; we struggle with consistency. This talk inspires you to take action because you believe your potential is worth the investment.
