
Sam Ruddock is a Paralympian who has competed in the 2012,2016, and 2024 Paralympics. He has competed at the highest level in three disciplines: sprinting, shot put, and para-cycling. Born with a physical disability, his story is a powerful example of overcoming the odds and making the most of the opportunities he has been given. When hired as a keynote speaker, Sam shares his experiences of overcoming physical limitations and his successes as a Paralympian.
Sam was born with spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy that affects the lower half of his body, impacting his flexibility, balance, and coordination. But from an early age, his passion for sport outshone any perceived limitations. While studying at Loughborough University, Sam was talent-spotted and soon classified as a T35 athlete by the International Paralympic Committee, setting him on the path to an elite sporting career.
Sam made his Paralympic debut at the London 2012 Games, going from novice to top-tier sprinter in just six months and earning a world ranking of 8th. For many, that would be a career peak—but for Sam, it was just the beginning. In 2014, he made a bold transition to shot put, later finishing sixth at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. It was in para track-cycling, however, that Sam found his true calling. In late 2022, he became the MC1 Kilometre World Champion—and then successfully defended his title in 2023 in Glasgow, cheered on by cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy.
Off the track, Sam is deeply committed to inspiring the next generation. Through his work with the charity Inspire+ and as an Athlete Mentor for the Youth Sport Trust, he uses his journey to promote better attendance, self-confidence, and engagement in secondary schools. In addition, Sam is an accomplished keynote speaker, delivering inspiring talks drawn from his global sporting experiences to a wide range of audiences.
In January of 2021, we sat down with Sam and discussed all things motivation, mental and physical health and Tokyo 2021. Watch our exclusive interview with Sam Ruddock now.
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Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events:
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"On behalf of the Education Strategy Group we would like to thank you for providing a strong motivational keynote speech and workshop which helped to make the annual meeting an overwhelming success. The delegate's feedback indicates that your speech was “inspirational”, “uplifting (much needed)”, and “excellent”. The comments about the workshop included “Very useful” and “I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop”. With very best wishes" - Eleanor, Education Partnerships Officer, People Group, Darlington Borough Council
"I just wanted to drop you a line to say what an absolute pleasure it was to have you attend our Annual Achievement Evening. Your inspirational story and the way that you engaged with our audience – particularly in the heat and with the delays – was fantastic! I wish you well in your future career, and preparations for Tokyo! On behalf of everyone here at Harlington School, thank you for giving up your time and making our Achievement Evening such a special event."- Ms E A Horrigan, Harlington School
"I was looking for a speaker to close our Greater Manchester West Scouts Leaders Conference, The Buzz Live, and as an end to our day cascading our National Strategy 2018-23 to 150+ hardworking volunteers and the amazing work they do. Volunteers showcased their programme ideas in a marketplace which Sam was pleased to look round talking enthusiastically to our leaders and young people. I had asked him to deliver an inspiring message to the volunteers at the end of the day to send them away ready to engage the County with what they had seen. Sam blew them away. He put such energy and humour into his talk, moving round telling his story in a very physical and a very engaging way. Hearing the audience respond to his amusing journey, brimming with self-awareness and gently introducing some of the messages we had discussed, I knew he was going to be a hit and he was. The volunteers loved his message based around what he called the 3 C’s - Make a Choice/Choose, to Give yourself a Chance and Take on the Challenge and I would not hesitate to invite Sam along again." - Daniele, Greater Manchester West Scouts
"Thank you so much. Sam himself was lovely and extremely engaging with the students. His Powerpoint and his messages were excellent, he managed to tie his talk neatly in to working hard at school which was just perfect!!! I couldn't thank him enough. Thank you so much for organising for us and we would happily use you guys again in the future." – Laura, Longhill High School
"Sam was really fantastic and we have had nothing but positive feedback from all that attended. His story was inspiring and he was someone that everyone in the audience could relate to. During the ceremony, he knew how to engage with the young people, including those that were anxious about coming on to the stage to collect their awards. He was generous with his time and stayed back after the event to chat with the young people and guests. We would definitely recommend him to others looking for a motivational speaker." - Clare, Norfolk Virtual School
"Sam was able to provide a light-hearted, engaging talk to our university students, describing his journey right through from birth to competing on the world's biggest stage, the Paralympics, up until his current endeavour of winning a medal in track cycling. Sam is down to earth and was extremely relatable to our students. He informed them of what it is like to live with a disability and how being made to feel welcome by the American Football team at his university was monumental to forming friendships and building up his confidence. Our students were able to take away loads of key messages such as the importance of being approachable and adaptable to meet different people's needs." – Hannah, University of Leicester
The call with Sam went really well - he was very engaging and had some good feedback from colleagues across the business which was great. - Molly, Talent Partner, Motability
"Please pass on my personal thanks to Sam for giving such a brilliant presentation yesterday. He held an audience of lively Y9s and 10s in the palm of his hand for the whole time, and in a fun, energetic and accessible way, he conveyed some really important and inspiring messages. He was also an absolute pleasure to work with and great company. We were lucky to spend time with him and will keep an eye on his future exploits." - Stephen, Director, Bryanston Education Summit
Feedback from Virtual Events:
"Sam’s energy was incredible and very well received. We needed more time with him as he had a lot to cover in his session. Feedback from the Teams link: “Sam literally made my day, I have tried all of January to motivate myself and feel better. Coping with anxiety and intrusive thoughts I needed this push!! ( It's so funny how a little bit of movement can change your mindset immediately, give you motivation, and productivity ). Such an inspiration , you are amazing, thank, you Sam.”, “super positive chat, well done on all your achievements, Sam you are super star” and “Thank you for sharing your story, positivity and inspirational energy Sam.” " - Electrical Industries Charity
"Just to say that Sam was brilliant this morning. He pitched the talk perfectly and was extremely inspiring and down to earth. Here are some of the comments we had: 'Brilliant talk thank you Sam', 'Thank you Sam!', 'Inspirational thank you', 'Thanks Sam!' and 'Thank you very much Sam, it was really interesting to hear and inspirational!'. Can you please pass on our sincere thanks." - Jaelithe, Senior Communications Manager, Ryedale District Council
"Sam's talk was great, and it's so easy to work with Champions. You give us good recommendations of suggested speakers and were so accommodating, especially with our technical issues and problems getting external guests into our Teams links." - Sarah, HR Project Manager, Bromford
"I've just had a chance to listen to Sam on catch-up, such a brilliant, inspirational and natural speaker! Great to hear all about Sam's life and fantastic achievements. Sam, I love your three non-negotiables and about self-care, by way of caring for others! Great advice for Bromford for the months ahead and thanks for taking the time to share with us. I wish you the very best of success for the future." - Bromford
"What an amazing guy Sam is. Everyone is messaging me with comments and compliments; words such as genuine, determined, brilliant, friendly, amazing, the list goes on. The speech was very inspirational talking about resilience and determination as well as his amazing sporting story. Please pass on our thanks to Sam, he was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We will all be cheering him on in Tokyo from our sofas." - Denise, HRBS
"Please pass on our thanks to Sam, his story was great, many colleagues said they can relate to it in many ways as we have all been different in many aspects at one point in life. It has also gave many of us a chance to know how to ask for something to be explained when dealing with unknown situations. It was great." - Javier, Arelion
2024 - Competed in his third Paralympic Games (Paris 2024), this time as a para-cyclist.
2023 - Successfully defended his title as MC1 Kilometre World Champion in para track-cycling at the World Championships in Glasgow.
2022 - Became MC1 Kilometre World Champion in para track-cycling for the first time.
2021 - Featured in an interview discussing motivation, mental and physical health, and his preparation for the Tokyo Paralympics.
2016 - Competed at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, placing 6th in shot put after switching disciplines from sprinting.
2014 - Transitioned from sprinting to shot put, continuing to compete at an elite level.
2012 - Made his Paralympic debut at the London 2012 Games as a T35 sprinter, achieving a world ranking of 8th just six months after taking up the sport.
How to hire Sam Ruddock
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Sam Ruddock 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.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.