Marc Woods

Former British swimmer, Marc Woods has represented Team GB at a total of five Paralympic Games. Having gone from a 17-year-old cancer patient to a four-time Olympic gold medalist, Woods has the key for going from good to great and overcoming setbacks. With an abundance of motivating and empowering anecdotes to share, Marc leaves a lasting impression on not only sports organisations but also SME’s and the world’s largest corporations. It was whilst he was competing at county level when Marc was diagnosed with cancer. At the age of 17, he found himself with an amputated leg and a huge amount of uncertainty hanging over his life. Almost instantly after his stitches were removed, his passion bought him back to the pool as he began rehabilitation.

With extreme courage and mental resilience, he managed to defy all expectations, won races whilst still receiving chemotherapy and even began breaking his previous personal best times. Only 18 months after completing his treatment, Wood’s was selected to join the rest of Team GB and his career as a Paralympian officially begun. Throughout his professional career, Marc swam at both European and World Championships as well as the Paralympics. His 17-year long career took him to five consecutive Games where he managed to display his talents to Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens and collect a total of 12 Olympic medals on top of a total of 21 medals from Championship events.

Since retiring from professional swimming in 2004, Marc has continued to spread inspiration and empowerment through launching his own consultancy business. Gaining further experience and knowledge into corporate, personal and sports development, Woods also began focusing his expertise into his own book entitled Personal Best. With an incredible amount of motivation, Woods has managed to reach some of the highest and most dangerous parts of the world during his treks within Nepal, Ecuador and Peru. Able to tick off adventures including climbing Volcano Cotopaxi and the 22,200ft Mera Peak, Wood’s is the ideal speaker to leave your audiences astounded.

Most recently, Marc has also become an integral member of the BBC Sports team during the 2008 Bejing Games and the 2012 London Paralympics. He has offered both his analysis and commentary as an ambassador during the London Games and has established himself as a highly recognisable figure within the media career. With huge international corporations including RBS, Barclays, John Lewis Partnership and the BBC thriving since listening to his incredible stories and advice, hiring Marc Woods as the motivational speaker for your next event is a no brainer for making a serious impact.