Axel Brown is a talented athlete, who specialises in the sport of bobsledding. A Trinidadian-British athlete, Axel made the decision to represent Trinidad and Tobago, making history when he became the only athlete at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics to organise their own entire federation and compete. Having manifested his Olympic dream, Axel is now highly sought after to share his successes as an athlete, detailing how he created his own opportunities and forged his career as an elite athlete in three different sports.
At the age of 20, Axel was not competing in sports, and in just eight years he was able to turn himself into an Olympian, pushing both his mental and physical boundaries to the limit. Spending several years competing for Great Britain in the Bobsleigh, Axel had the opportunity to compete in the North American Cup, Europe Cup and World Cup – having placed fifth in his debut North American Cup season and been a reserve for the 2019 World Championships. In 2021, Axel made the decision to begin representing his mother’s homeland of Trinidad and Tobago, going on to finish 3rd at the 2022 North American Cup, marking his prominence in bobsleigh as the first Caribbean bobsledder to finish on the podium of a 4-man race. He also competed at the 2022 IBSF World Cup, placing 13th and achieving the Caribbean’s highest-ever World Cup 2-man position.
At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Axel and his teammate Andre were the first people to represent Trinidad and Tobago since the year of 2002, finishing the competition in 28th place – the highest Trinidad and Tobago have placed at the Winter Olympics. In the run-up to the Winter Olympics, Axel was the only Olympian to organise their own federation, remarkably establishing and racing for an international federation that he created in just 6 months. In addition to his successes as a bobsledder, Axel has also played for the Colorado State Rams in American Football and the Great Britain Lions U18 Team, along with winning Bronze and Silver medals representing the UK in Taekwondo.
Now hired as a keynote speaker, Axel shares his story of perseverance, tenacity and motivation, inspiring his audiences to push past boundaries deemed ‘impossible’. Drawing parallels between sports and business, Axel is able to share his expertise on the intangible aspects of leadership, creativity and perseverance. Having previously spoken for the Harrogate Grammar School, Axel is highly passionate about inspiring young people to achieve their goals and overcome adversity, commended for his positivity and motivational anecdotes. Focusing on the topics of When One Door Closes Make Another and Walk Through It, The Biggest Prize in Sport is Self-Fulfilment and Down, But Not Discouraged, Axel is the perfect speaker when looking to inspire people to push their boundaries, overcome adversity and have perseverance.
How to hire Axel Brown
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Axel Brown for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do not accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
Axel Brown's official speaking topics are listed below:
When One Door Closes, Make Another and Walk Through It:
- Axel's story is about not necessarily waiting for an opportunity to present itself but creating your own, or at least increasing your chances. Axel can talk about self-motivation, perseverance and creativity which he thinks are key to making your own opportunity and succeeding. Even when, or especially if others are actively trying to stop it.
Down, But Not Discouraged:
- Axel missed the 2018 Olympics by 0.03 seconds, he was then bullied out of Team GB by his "teammates". It would have been very easy to quit and walk away from the sport. Instead, Axel picked himself up and created something which has been overwhelmingly positive, and impactful for so many. He can speak to how pressures and injustices out of our control can be a catalyst for greatness.
The Biggest Prize in Sport is Self-Fulfillment:
- "You've just competed in the biggest sporting event, and yet this is one of the lowest times you've ever felt" are words from an open letter titled "Dear Olympian". They are incredibly true, and can move an athlete to tears when they read them. Axel wants to talk about how achievement in sports can take such a toll on mental health and that it doesn't matter if you have a medal around your neck, if you're not happy with the person in the mirror. Axel has chosen the path with less chance of sporting success in order to enjoy his life and leave a positive impact. A message he thinks everyone could take a little from.
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"Axel Brown was a complete inspiration to our students at Pocklington. He really delivered not only a key message but lots of interesting content including the Winter Olympic selection and competition process, training involved and the psychology around professional sport. He was funny, interesting and really engaged all students. The bobsleigh in the room was an additional highlight too." - Pocklington School
"Axel was a guest speaker at the HGS Annual Awards Ceremony. He gave an extremely engaging and inspirational talk about his journey from HGS to competing in the Winter Olympics, which really showed the current pupils that anything is achievable in life." - Harrogate Grammar School
- 2022 - Competed for Trinidad & Tobago at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games in 2-man bobsleigh
- 2022 - First Caribbean bobsleigh pilot to finish on the podium of a 4-man race at the North American Cup in Park City
- 2022 - 3rd place in the North American Cup
- 2022 - 13th place in the IBSF World Cup, Carribean's highest-ever World Cup 2-man position
