Louise Hazel

Commonwealth Games gold medalist, highly regarded Olympian and track and field athlete, Louise Hazel has displayed her ability to achieve peak performance out on the track and is now touring the UK as an after-dinner speaker to spread her wisdom. A specialised heptathlete, Louise is the sixth on the UK’s list of the all-time best in her field. She is known worldwide for her mental resilience and ability to retain determination even through tough situations. Having been encouraged to train at her local athletics club from the age of 10, Louise established her natural strength, stride and ability at an impressively young age. She graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BA in French and became a member of the Birchfield Harriers Athletics Club - a group known to have previously links with the likes of Pat Cropper and Denise Lewis.

Louise has competed at a total of four international championships, she was ranked the 2nd best in the country in 2009 as well as the 9th best of all time. She has also scored a staggering 6166 points at the annual track and field meeting, Mehrkampf-Meeting Ratingen and managed to win a Commonwealth Games event at the 2010 tournament. She left the Delhi games with a multitude of medals including two silvers and her winning gold after coming first in the long jump and javelin sections of the heptathlon. She also competed in her home country at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

After retiring from athletics in 2013, Louise has ventured into the media industry. She has made several appearances on shows including Come Dine With Me and UK Ninja Warrior in which she successfully raised money for charities including ITV’s Text Santa. Louise is also an ambassador for the British Heart Foundation. Only a year into retirement, Hazel announced a comeback to athletics shortly after the 2014 Commonwealth Games were announced to be held in Glasgow. She began training in the bid to defend her title but sadly had to withdraw due to a flare-up of ulcerative colitis. Having dealt with an abundance of adversity and setbacks throughout her career, Louise Hazel is an advocate for remaining determined and retaining drive. She is able to achieve her maximum ability every time she performs, no matter the ups and downs she been through to get there. A message she injects into her after-dinner speeches, Hazel is ideal for events in search of a peak performance and mental resilience speaker.