Polly Williamson is a multiple gold-medal-winning event rider whose life took a dramatic turn after suffering a near-fatal brain injury when a horse she was training panicked and kicked her in the head. Despite the immense challenges that followed, Polly has transformed her experience into an inspiring story of resilience, mental strength, and personal reinvention. From an early age, Polly displayed exceptional equestrian talent. At just 18 years old, she was selected for her first European Championships, where she won double gold. Her success continued as she secured a further four European gold medals, two National titles, and competed across Europe and Australia. Polly also took on the thrilling challenge of a celebrity race around Aintree, jumping the original Becher’s Brook. Beyond her competitive achievements, she established a thriving equestrian business, producing horses for the international market and training elite riders across Great Britain and Europe. Her career was further bolstered by securing sponsorship deals with high-profile global companies.
However, in 2011, Polly’s life was irreversibly altered when she sustained a traumatic brain injury. Forced to close her successful business and faced with the devastating impact on her family life, she struggled with a profound loss of identity. Damaged brain pathways led to a crisis of self-esteem and confidence, requiring extraordinary resilience and determination to rebuild her life. Her decade-long journey from coma to a full and meaningful existence was fraught with obstacles, but Polly met them head-on. She had to relearn how to talk, walk, and think coherently, all while redefining who she was. Drawing on the same drive that fuelled her equestrian success, she embraced the challenge of working with her altered brain, ultimately finding strength in her differences rather than fighting against them.
Polly now enjoys a successful career as a motivational speaker, captivating audiences with her powerful and deeply personal story. She speaks candidly about the strategies she used to recover, the public’s varied reactions to mental health challenges, and how she discovered a renewed sense of purpose. Her story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and serves as an inspiring reminder that it is always possible to start anew, even after life’s most significant setbacks. A published author, Polly shares her journey in her book 'Where Did I Go?: Rediscovering My Identity, Lost After a Traumatic Brain Injury', offering readers an intimate, insightful, and often humorous account of her experiences. Passionate about giving back, she has volunteered with Barnardo’s to support young children and serves as an ambassador for The Sophy Layzell Trust, a charity dedicated to supporting children with acquired brain injuries. She is also a frequent speaker for the charity Headway, advocating for those facing similar challenges.
Polly Williamson is a dynamic and engaging speaker who leaves audiences with a profound message: resilience is within all of us, and embracing change can lead to new and fulfilling paths. Her warmth, humour, and sincerity make her a standout presence at any event. Whether speaking to corporate leaders, students, or individuals facing adversity, Polly delivers an unforgettable experience that inspires people to harness their inner strength and redefine success on their own terms.
Books
Where did I go?: Rediscovering My Identity, Lost After a Traumatic Brain Injury (Crumps Barn Studio Personal Memoir)
Polly Williamson's official speaking topics are listed below:
- Neuro Diverse
- Mental Health
- Identity
- Eventing
- Overcoming brain trauma
- Determination
- Resilience
- Overcoming obstacles
- Fighting back from injury
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"This was a fantastic session. Thanks so much for your time Polly." - David, Director, Aviva
"The event yesterday with Polly was fantastic. Polly's story touched all those who attended and was truly inspiring. I loved how she made the event personal to JDE too. Big thanks from me" - JDE Coffee
"Thank you so much for attending our International Women’s Day here at NatWest today. Like many others in the room, I found your talk inspiring, highlighting to all what you can achieve with a determined and resilient mindset. I wish you all the very best with your next challenge. Best wishes." - Malcolm
"Everyone felt it was a safe space to discuss their own as well and open up so freely to discuss things - that is something you made so special and I know we will want to more of these and not just for women! I am so glad you found the experience as useful, and you did so well with the on the spot questions as well - great job. I know we will be in touch and I am sure there will now be a que wanting to use your talents! Thank you again." - Janine, NatWest
"Polly, thank you for joining us. Your determination, resilience and courage were truly inspirational for myself and the team. We all left with a quiet thoughtfulness and conversations have continued beyond our event." - Melanie, NatWest
Polly’s engaging account of her story told with great conviction, plenty of humour and, at times, disarming honesty, made a very positive impact on our students. She did not hide the difficulties and challenges that she had encountered and continues to encounter but the resilience that Polly has shown, and the obstacles that she has overcome, cannot fail but to inspire those who hear her. She makes all things seem possible with the right mindset and determination and her lack of any self-pity sharpens the listeners’ focus on what is possible rather than what is hard to achieve. I highly recommend Polly as a speaker. - Emma, Downe School
"Polly’s talk on overcoming trauma and the path to rebuilding a full, if different life, is nothing short of inspirational! Her honest and very open description of her life before her accident, her injuries and then her battle towards recovery is delivered in a simple, clear and accessible way that anyone could understand and relate to. At no point does she ever let self-pity cloud her story and one is left with a very clear message that life will throw problems at you and if you want to survive you need to be grateful for what you have, build on that belief and then set incremental goals that you can succeed at. In a world where we, as a society, seem very keen to look for sympathy in adversity I was greatly impressed by the lack of this in Polly’s talk and found genuine motivation in it’s focus on courage, “gritting your teeth to meet the next challenge” and never giving up. Having taken my family to see Polly’s talk I’m very glad I did as it’s not just a “light” for those recovering from an injury but it’s a “handbook” for us all in dealing with and overcoming hardship, holding on to hope and showing courage on the path to success." - Mark, Boeing
"We invited Polly Williamson to speak at our ‘Business Brain’ event in London in April 2024. The audience was a wide range of executives from the Financial World. Polly used her personal experiences to talk about Resilience and building confidence. She took questions both during and after her excellent slide-supported presentation. The session lasted about 45 minutes. Polly fully engaged the audience throughout and received rave reviews. This was primarily because of her ability to relate to real business issues and challenges that people face every day, drawing from her personal journey having suffered a life-changing accident. Her advice was clear, practical and hard hitting. I would recommend her wholeheartedly as a speaker at any event." - James, Director, Templar
"WOW! Our Aviva Risky Women community was joined yesterday by Polly a 6-times Europeans Gold Medallist at Eventing BUT that isn’t what she came to talk to us about. This story was one of the highs and lows, of courage, discipline, focus, competitiveness and love. It takes quite a bit to move me but Polly really did either that or someone had put something in the air conditioning. Twelve years ago whilst out riding Polly sustained a life changing traumatic brain injury. We heard about not only her journey of the physical recovery but that of her mental recovery – rediscovering who Polly was. The physical recovery – to be able to stand, to walk, to talk, to move … having been a sportsperson … would be challenging in itself (oh by the way Polly has since completed a half-marathon). BUT that wasn’t the biggest challenge, it was finding the Polly Williamson that she was now … I loved it when she said that where she found peace was when she was with the horses again – she didn’t have to talk and no-one was talking at her. Because since her injury Polly’s senses had become more sensitive … her sense of smell, her hearing – she was more conscious of her surroundings. Polly didn’t recognise the person in the photos in her house … she wasn’t that Polly. It is not uncommon for people recovering from traumatic brain injury not to recognise themselves and to actually change their names as a result. Polly’s resiliency, courage, competitiveness shone through but also one of the most important things we all forget is to ask for help – Polly openly shared this with us. I learnt so much and the most amazing thing about Polly she delivered something she went through with so much warmth and humour. Thank you so much Polly for sharing your story, for inspiring us all and reminding us to be so grateful for everything we have." - Charlotte, Director, Aviva
How to hire Polly Williamson
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Polly Williamson for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
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