Katarina Johnson-Thompson

Katarina Johnson-Thompson, a decorated British athlete, is making waves in international athletics, as a specialist in heptathlon and indoor pentathlon. Considered to be 'the next Jessica Ennis-Hill', Katarina is a formidable competitor in her own right, beating the records of some of the sport's biggest rivals. Having competed on every major sporting stage, including the Olympics to the Commonwealth Games, Katarina is a fantastic choice of sports speaker, who is highly in demand to share her secrets to high-performance career success, with audiences of her after-dinner talks.

Throughout her impressive career, Katarina has made an undeniable impact on the track and field competitive scene. Specialising in heptathlon as well as pentathlon means that Katarina achieves elite results in seven disciplines, and she has become a champion at the event both indoors and outdoors. Some of her most memorable victories include the 2015 European Indoor Pentathlon Champion, the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships gold medal, and women’s heptathlon winner at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Recently, she made the all-time heptathlon list at number six after winning gold at the 2019 World Championship and breaking the British record. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Katarina claimed Gold in the Women's Heptathlon. Her most recent notable achievement, involves her achieving a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the Women's Heptathlon.

From the outset, Katarina has proven herself as a formidable competitor, with her junior results as impressive as her senior ones. Supported in her early years by the Wells Sports Foundation, and in turn the foundation’s patron Jessica Ennis Hill, Katarina burst onto the scene winning gold at the 2009 World Youth Championship in Athletics, competing in the heptathlon. In 2012 she became the World Junior Champion at long jump and with 6,248 cumulative points Katarina secured her position in the 2012 London Olympic Games heptathlon lineup. After coming thirteenth in her first-ever Olympic Games, Katarina was deservedly nominated for the European Athletics Rising Star Award. Katarina has also been the proud recipient of the Lillian Board Memorial Award at the British Athletics Writers' Association Awards.

Katarina frequently sets new records with her talent, including both the British high jump records, indoor with a height of 1.97 m at the 2015 British Indoor Athletics Championships and outdoor with a height of 1.98m at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. With her continual spectacular performances, and contributions to the sporting industry, Katarina was voted 2019 Female Athlete of the Year by the British Athletics Writers’ Association. An incredible athlete, currently at the pinnacle of her career, Katarina is one of the most exciting after-dinner speakers available, able to give audiences insight into international sports and the journey it takes to get to the top.