Katie Shanahan

Katie Shanahan is one of the most respected and recognisable sports broadcasters in the UK, combining elite sporting experience with first-class journalism. An accomplished keynote speaker, Katie is best known for her role as Lead Reporter at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games for talkSPORT, a career-defining position that placed her at the heart of one of the world’s biggest sporting events. She is a familiar face and voice across television, radio and digital platforms, trusted by audiences and broadcasters alike for her authority, warmth and calm delivery under pressure. Her work spans football, Olympic sport and major international tournaments, giving her a rare breadth that underpins her speaking credentials.

Katie’s journey began in elite sport, where she represented England Hockey internationally for five years, developing the resilience, discipline and competitive mindset that continue to shape her career. Sport was not simply a passion but a foundation, teaching her how high-performing teams function and how individuals respond to pressure and scrutiny. Alongside her playing career, she pursued academic excellence, completing a Master’s degree in Sports Journalism with distinction, a pivotal step that sharpened her editorial judgement and storytelling skills. Katie entered broadcasting through production roles, learning the mechanics of live television and radio from the inside out. This grounding gave her credibility in newsrooms and confidence when she moved into on-air presenting and reporting roles.

Her broadcasting career has grown rapidly and consistently. Katie has worked across BBC Sport, Sky Sports, ITV Sport, Channel 5 and talkSPORT, covering domestic and international football, Olympic competition and global sporting moments. She is widely recognised as ITV’s Chief Lioness Reporter, embedded with the England women’s football team during UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 and 2025 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. She has also hosted coverage of major tournaments for international broadcasters, including the 2024 Euros from Germany and the FIFA World Cup as an in-stadium host. Her journalism has been formally recognised, winning Best Event of the Year at the Sports Journalism Awards and Best Production of the Year at the Broadcast Sport Awards, alongside a nomination for Best Sports Reporter.

As a keynote speaker, Katie brings clarity, credibility and relevance. She speaks with authority on leadership, women’s sport, elite performance, communication and navigating high-pressure environments. Drawing on experiences such as reporting live from Olympic venues or travelling full-time with elite athletes, Katie delivers talks that are practical and relatable. She often shares real examples of building trust with players and teams, lessons that translate directly into business and leadership settings. Her topics matter because they connect performance, mindset and communication in a way audiences understand and apply. Katie leaves audiences informed, energised and clear on what excellence looks like in modern high-performance environments.