Sally Gunnell on building resilience: From Olympic Gold to life lessons in leadership
Sally remains one of Britain’s most celebrated Olympians. She made history by becoming the only woman to simultaneously hold Olympic, World, European, and Commonwealth titles in the 400m hurdles. Today, she is a sought-after name among Olympians speakers and After Dinner Speakers, offering insights on resilience, peak performance, and wellbeing.
In this exclusive interview with The Champions Speakers Agency, Sally shares her views on equality in sport, the importance of mental recovery, and the lessons leaders in business can learn from elite athletics.
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Hide AdQ: In your view, how far has gender equality in sport come—and where does progress still need to be made?


Sally: “I think we have come such a long way. You know, when I think about when I won in ’92, I was sort of like the only woman out of, you know, the five of us that won. I had to win to get that recognition. You know, certainly the pay was nowhere near the other guys that were involved in my sport. But to see where women’s sport has come over the last, you know, 30 years, I think it’s not just about equality around money.
“I think, you know, yes there are some sports that are equivalent and yes you can compete, but I think it’s about media and I think it’s about coverage, because this isn’t just about the top end, which is the money side of it. It’s about the progress that women can have, and the confidence, and the programmes that are in place to bring them through.
“That comes down to media coverage. That comes down to merchandise and sponsorship—all those sorts of things. That, to me, is what’s really important. Yes, we’re getting there, but we’re still a little way off. I think we just need to keep doing what we’re doing and have, you know, amazing role models like Emma Raducanu with her tennis this weekend—unbelievable. That is what women’s sport needs.”
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Hide AdQ: Beyond elite-level competition, why is it essential to encourage more girls and women to engage in sport from an early age?


Sally: “It’s enormously important, and to me it’s much more around the confidence and the self-esteem. I think there’s been lots of reports out there of, just, you know, girls that are active from a young age—just how much more they are confident in themselves, how they are mentally stronger, and just, yeah, just the effect that they can have within just your own self-esteem and how you feel about yourself.”
Q: Can you share a moment in your athletic career that tested your resilience and how you overcame it?
Sally: “Yeah, adversity is part of life. It’s how we learn. It’s how we develop as individuals. I know I would not have been that athlete who stood on that line in Barcelona unless I hadn’t had injuries, hadn’t lost races, was ill—all those sorts of things.
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Hide Ad“It was about how you put it behind you, you learn the lessons, and you move on. You don’t dwell on it for the next six months and go, “If only.” It was part of it and it made me stronger. It made me hungrier. It made me more determined. They’re all the skills that you need to perform at that high level.”
Q: At the height of your sporting career, how did you prioritise mental wellbeing and recovery to stay at peak performance?
Sally: “My mental wellbeing was really important, more so now than then. I think it’s around recovery. It’s about training smart, because, you know, you could train and work every hour of the day, but, you know, your quality of that training would go down.
“Because you’re not putting in the recovery, you’re not repairing the body, you’re not sleeping, you’re not having your me-time—your sit-down and a cup of coffee or whatever, or a walk outside. They’re really crucial.
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Hide Ad“That was all part of the strategy, that was all part of the planning of my day—where does that recovery come in? That’s around the wellbeing, and that’s how you keep your mind strong. That’s how you stay positive within yourself, and kind to yourself really.”
Q: What practical steps can business leaders take to embed wellbeing into the workplace culture—especially under high-performance demands?
Sally: “I think business leaders have to lead by example. They need to be the ones that get away from their desk at lunchtime. They’re the ones that maybe go to sports day to watch their kids. Yes, they’ve got good work ethics, but it’s fine to, you know, sit down and have five minutes away, or to leave early from work and make up the time later.
“I think they need to recognise how important wellbeing is, and to have a good programme in place that supports their team and allows them to, you know—because you are asking so many—leaders are asking so much of their staff, you know, time and time again. They’ve set the goals, they’ve set the challenges and they’ve achieved that, and they’re going again.
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Hide Ad“That’s about recovery, and that’s about, you know, supporting each other, chatting, communicating, having some fun time together. I think that’s the other thing. You know, if I think back to my training days, my coach would often vary the training that we’d do, or we’d have a social event like go bowling or whatever, a meal. I think that’s really key.
“That opens up and helps us understand who each other is, and learning something about them so that we can talk if there is a problem, and knowing that you’re there to support each other.”
This exclusive interview with Sally Gunnell was conducted by Chris Tompkins of The Motivational Speakers Agency.