Kate Richardson-Walsh

Kate Richardson-Walsh has enjoyed an illustrious career as a former professional field hockey player, renowned for having been the Captain of the England and Great Britain teams for 13 years and having been capped a record-breaking 375 times for England and Great Britain. Playing in four Olympic Games, four Commonwealth Games and four Hockey World Cups, Kate has generated an impressive medal tally – including an Olympic Gold, two Commonwealth Game Silvers and a World Cup Bronze medal. Today, having retired from playing professionally, Kate is committed to her work as a sports pundit, along with her proficiency as a keynote speaker. When hired to attend corporate events as a speaker, Kate translates the skills she honed during her 17 years in elite sport to deliver comprehensive speeches on high performance under pressure, diversity and inclusion, female leadership, LGBT+ inclusion, inspiring future generations and winning mindsets.

Nationally renowned for her talents in field hockey, Kate enjoyed great success in both international and domestic hockey. At the culmination of her career after the Rio Olympic Games, Kate was the proud holder of 19 medals and had achieved 49 goals throughout her 375 appearances for her country. During her tenure as an elite athlete, Kate was also elected to the British Olympic Association Athlete’s Commission, demonstrating her prominence as an athlete. Kate was also the recipient of countless sporting accolades, including the Hockey Writers Club UK Player of the Year Award for 2003, 2007 and 2012, the Great Britain Hockey Player of the Year and the England Hockey Member of Honour – the highest honour in English hockey. Even after she announced her retirement, Kate’s sporting influence was further recognised when she became the recipient of the National Lottery Spirit of Sport Award at the Sports Journalist’s Association British Sports Awards.

Following her retirement, Kate pursued professional hockey coaching – becoming the Head Coach for Hampstead & Westminster Ladies XI. She also shared her expertise on the sport as a pundit, providing commentary for BT Sport at the 2017 EuroHockey Championships. She has also provided commentary on the 2018 Commonwealth Games for both BBC Sport and BBC Radio 5 Live, along with analysis at the 2018 World Cup for BT Sport. Her influence in sports also extends to her support as an Ambassador of the Women’s Sport Trust and Access Sport. She has also been the Co-Chair of the Athlete’s Commission for the International Hockey Federation and is currently the Assistant Coach of Field Hockey Canada.

As a passionate advocate for women’s and LGBT rights, Kate uses her prominence as a former elite athlete to accelerate action in making the world a more inclusive safe space. Having also been the Co-Founder of Be Create Inspire Ltd since 2021, and co-authored Winning Together an Olympic-Winning Approach to Building Better Teams, Kate is committed to fostering the positive upbringing of new generations. In honour of her great inspiration, Kate was appointed MBE in 2015 and later OBE in 2017 for her Services to Hockey.

With a decorated sporting career to her name, Kate is now highly sought after as a motivational speaker for corporate events. Having been part of the first same-sex couple to win Olympic medals, Kate uses her prominence to be a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, promoting the importance of inclusive opportunities. Kate is also regularly sought after to deliver keynote speeches on leadership, communication, team building, goal-setting and ambitions. Having delivered a Q&A session for the Oxford Union, Kate is a seasoned speaker whose passionate addresses leave a great impact on audiences from all walks of life. If you are looking for an inspirational speaker who not only shares the successes of their sporting career but also a variety of topical subjects that they are passionate about, hire Kate Richardson-Walsh today!

Given her prominence as a member of the LGBT+ community, Kate is regularly sought after to share her personal experiences - such as being part of the first same-sex couple to be named on the same Queen's Honours list. As a powerful advocate for the LGBT+ community, Kate was recently recognised as one of London's Most Popular LGBTQ+ Speakers for Pride Month!