Stef Reid MBE

A trailblazer who defies limits and embraces high performance.

Stef Reid is a Paralympic long jumper and sprinter who competes for Great Britain. She is a five-time World Record holder, and was the long jump world champion in 2017.

With once bronze and two silver medals from the Paralympic Games, one silver and one bronze from the Parapan American Games, three bronze and one silver from the Paralympic World Cup, two bronze and a gold from the IPC World Championships, one gold from the IPC European Championship, and a gold from the Disability Athletics Challenge, it’s fair to say that Stef’s trophy cabinet is bulging.

She has an honours degree in biochemistry, and away from the track she works as a broadcaster, actor, model, and professional speaker. She was even a finalist on Celebrity Masterchef (2018).

Contact Great British Speakers today to book Paralympic motivational speaker Stef Reid for your next event.

Type Of Presenter

Disability Diversity Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Female Speakers High Performance International Women's Day Motivational Olympians/Paralympians Resilience Speaker Sport Virtual Speakers

More About Stef Reid MBE

Stef Reid was born in New Zealand to a Scottish father and English mother, grew up in Toronto, moves to Dallas, Texas with her Canadian husband – fellow Paralympian Brent Lakatos – and then settled in the UK in 2010.

Her talent and passion for sport was spotted early, and at 12 she was already dreaming of playing rugby on the world stage. However, when she was 15, Stef was involved in a boating accident, where she suffered severe propeller lacerations. Whilst her life was saved, her right foot had to be amputated. This accident put an end to her dreams of being a rugby superstar. But with the help of a carbon fibre running leg, she found a different sport.

Initially, Stef shifted her focus from sport to studies, studying biochemistry from Queen’s University in Canada. It was whilst at University that she joined their athletics team “just to see how fast” she could still run. After graduating, she put her plans of medical school aside and chose to focus on her childhood dream of being a professional athlete.

After a glittering 18 year Paralympic career, Stef announced her retirement in 2022, and is now on a mission to inspire others to find their version of High Performance.

Her success on the sporting stage has moved to other industries, and she became the first amputee to walk the London Fashion Week catwalk, and competed in Dancing on Ice in 2022, making it to the quarter finals and proving that you can learn to ice skate with a prosthetic foot.

She has also shown her skills as an actress; below is a short film with Stef taking on an acting role – The Energy Within, sponsored by BP.

STEF REID | MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKING

Stef is an international speaker with a portfolio that includes corporate keynote speeches, event hosting, guest lecturing, and even consulting with the Vatican! Stef inspires and challenges audiences through her message that excellence is possible for everyone. Some of her recent adventures include being a pundit for Channel 4, and working as a BBC reporter for the Invictus Games Australia in 2018.

STEF REID | SPEAKING TOPICS

– The Pursuit of Excellence

– Resilience

– The Adaptive Mindset

– Motivation

– Failure

– Wellbeing and Human Performance in Business

Stef Reid Paralympic athlete World Champion Long jumper inspirational speaker book at agent Great British Speakers

STEF REID | AREAS OF EXPERTISE

The High Performance Power of Diversity: High performance businesses knew that original ideas and thinking helps sustain success. For them, diversity is never about just ticking a box, it is about finding that edge over your competitors. They know that the best ideas come from a diverse room. We can all learn that unique perspectives can encourage personal and professional innovation.

Resilience and the Adaptive Mindset: Unlocking the Secrets of High Performers: We may all have a life plan, but life very rarely unfolds in the way we want or expect. In a world that continues to surprise, the ability to adapt is the foundation of a sustained high level of performance. Adapting is not easy, it requires hard work and courage and resilience.

High Performance Habits for Mental Health and Wellbeing: High performing bodies and minds are not just for elite athletes, they are necessary for everyone, whether in their personal or professional lives. Our bodies matter because they are the means by which we take action in the real world, and our minds matter because big goals and good ideas take time, and we need to be able to ride over the bumps and through the obstacles.

Stef Reid Speaking Clients

B&Q, Barclays, Bloomberg, BP, CIBC, Citi, EY, Google, International Olympic Committee, McLaren, P&G, Rolls Royce Sky, VISA, Wunderman.

Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great British Speakers now to book Paralympic Athlete Stef Reid to speak at or host your next live event.

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Testimonials

Stef has worked with us on numerous occasions, bringing a magic and passion to our internal and external audiences alike. Most recently she delivered a powerful keynote speech at the Future Leaders event, which brought together many of BP’s highest potential individuals from around the world. Stef possesses an extraordinary ability to engage every person in the room, sharing her perspectives in a way that is at once engaging, energizing and thought-provoking. Stef has a natural speaking talent and an ability to make us all think again about what is possible in life.
BP

Listening to Paralympian and model Stef Reid describing how she had successfully adapted to becoming disabled was inspirational. Stef eloquently articulated the problems of striving to conform to the narrow stereotype of ‘normal’ and encouraged the audience to challenge the current paradigm. She emphasised the need to celebrate difference rather than view it as a reason for exclusion.
London College of Fashion

I had the honour of watching Stef in the Olympic stadium in 2012. Her story had everyone on the edge of their seats, laughing out loud and in the next moment reaching for their tissues. Stef is a true champion who is not only an inspiration on the track but also on the stage. She brought the house down and I’d pay to watch time after time. A joy to work with and an honour to know her.
Geoff Ramm (Another Great British Speaker!)