Sam Quek

Sam Quek MBE, a former Olympic hockey player, is an example of what hard work, drive and perseverance can achieve. An international sporting success, Sam has achieved the highest levels within her hockey career, and is now a role model to others. Be it motivating an individual to reach their goals, or giving practical advice to teams on how to deliver together, Sam’s career has enabled her to teach others as a school and after-dinner speaker.

From the Commonwealth Games to the EuroHockey tournament, the European Championship to the Olympic Games, Sam Quek has played on some of the biggest sporting stages in the world. After competing in the 2014 Champions Trophy as the captain of team England, and receiving Man of the Match for her impressive performance in the final of the European Championships in 2015, where her team took home gold, it was no surprise that Sam was later announced as a member of team Great Britain for the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. Proving a powerful player on the field, she helped her team reach the final and ultimately win the first-ever women’s hockey Olympic gold medal for Great Britain.

Sam got her start in hockey whilst still in school. After showing promise in PE classes she was encouraged to join a club, where she harnessed her talent and progressed through the ranks to become a professional hockey player. Whilst studying at Leeds Metropolitan University for a Sports & Exercise Science degree, Sam gained her first international cap, in a match against Argentina in 2008. Consistent, hard-working and a true team player, Sam is an example of sportsmanship.

Since rising to fame as part of the winning Olympic squad, Sam has become a regular feature in mainstream media. She has been a guest on a number of popular panel shows, including Play to the Whistle and as a Team Captain on BBC’s A Question of Sport as well as joining celebrity editions of quiz shows to raise money for charity, like her series 11 appearance on Pointless Celebrities. Most recently, Sam has been named as a contestant for Strictly Come Dancing 2024, competing alongside stars such as Nick Knowles and fellow sportsman Tom Dean MBE. Reaching global success as a sportswoman is no easy feat, and Sam shares her experience in regular columns for the Metro, the BBC and the Daily Mirror. A down-to-earth, sporting star, Sam Quek is the ideal speaker to inspire school students with her story, entertain after-dinner guests with her journey and boost teamwork for corporate clients.