Erin Kennedy OBE
Transform team performance with Erin Kennedy OBE, speaker and Paralympic gold medal-winning coxswain. Erin works with organisations to enhance leadership, resilience, and strategic communication, delivering insights from her OBE-recognised career in elite sport and cancer advocacy. Two-time Paralympic gold medallist who has been undefeated since 2010.
London, United Kingdom
Enquire Now
Send us your event details
.svg){kind=icon}
Erin trains full time as a coxswain with the GB Rowing Team and has made history as the first coxswain to simultaneously hold Paralympic, World, European, and World Record titles. Competing across both Olympic and Paralympic pathways, she is best known for steering the Mixed Coxed Four to sustained international dominance, including gold medals at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, extending Great Britain’s long-standing winning streak in the event.
In 2022, Erin was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer while competing internationally. She continued to race during treatment, later returning to full competition following chemotherapy and a double mastectomy, documenting her journey to raise awareness among young women. Her story has been covered by major UK broadcasters and international media, including CNN, NBC, and the Olympic Channel. Alongside her sporting achievements, Erin was awarded an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours and an OBE in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to rowing and breast cancer awareness.
Erin delivers keynote talks, workshops, school engagements, and mentorship programmes for corporate, public sector, sporting, and educational audiences, and has worked with organisations ranging from the British Army to the NHS, Parliament, and with leading brands. Her presentations translate lessons from high-performance sport into insights on leadership, teamwork, and resilience. Audiences learn practical strategies for leadership under pressure, effective communication in high-stakes environments, and reframing challenges into opportunities.
Book Erin to bring world-class performance insight, resilience, and leadership experience to your organisation.
Topics, Sessions And Talks
Erin Kennedy OBE explores leadership from the unique perspective of a coxswain, where responsibility, decision-making, and accountability converge under extreme pressure. Drawing on Paralympic competition and years within elite British rowing, she examines different leadership styles, when to lead from the front or the background, and how trust is built within teams. The session connects high performance sport with organisational leadership, offering practical insight into leading people through uncertainty and high-stakes environments.
As the voice of the boat, Erin Kennedy OBE demonstrates how precise, calm communication can determine success or failure in elite sport. Using real race scenarios and training environments, she breaks down how clarity, tone, and timing influence performance, particularly under stress. Her approach highlights listening as much as speaking, and shows how strong communication cultures improve decision-making, reduce error, and strengthen trust across teams in fast-paced professional settings.
Erin Kennedy OBE centres teamwork on individuals first, showing how collective success depends on understanding strengths, pressures, and shared responsibility. Drawing on her experience steering world championship and Paralympic crews, she explores how alignment, role clarity, and mutual accountability drive sustained performance. The session translates elite sporting principles into practical frameworks for teams navigating complexity, change, and high expectations across business, military, and public sector environments.
Erin Kennedy OBE shares an honest account of resilience shaped by elite sport and a breast cancer diagnosis during her competitive career. She focuses on reframing challenges, managing setbacks, and maintaining purpose through uncertainty. Blending personal experience with high-performance psychology, Erin demonstrates how resilience is built daily, not reserved for crisis, and how perspective, adaptability, and mindset can support both personal wellbeing and professional effectiveness.
Operating at the top of international sport requires constant reflection, adjustment, and focus. Erin Kennedy OBE examines how effective goal setting goes beyond ambition to include energy management, recovery, and long-term sustainability. Drawing on her journey to multiple Paralympic titles, she outlines how to set meaningful goals, measure progress honestly, and remain motivated once success is achieved, offering insight that resonates with high performers across sectors.
Looking for a custom keynote or workshop designed around your company’s goals and culture? The expert will create a tailored, interactive session that aligns with your objectives, values, and strategic priorities. From leadership and innovation to wellbeing and collaboration, each experience is built from the ground up to deliver measurable impact and lasting change.
.svg)
Book
.svg)
.svg)
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about booking an expert speaker, facilitator, host or entertainment for your event.
- If you'd like to book one of our expert speakers, email us at hello@peptalk.com, send us a chat message or give us a call, and we’ll help you out.
- We’ll take your event details — topic, audience, budget, date, and location — and create a custom speaker proposal for you within 48 hours.
- If you already have someone in mind, that’s okay too; just let us know their name! Even if they aren't listed publicly on our website, we have a huge network and work with almost everyone.
- Once you've reviewed our speaker propsal and have selected and expert shortlist, we'll double check availability and fees with your chosen expert.
- You're welcome to have a chemistry call with the speaker before making the final decision, too.
- Next, we'll send out contracts to confirm the booking. One of our experienced event producers will liase with both you and the talent on the finer details, and arrange travel if necessary, taking the stress off your plate.
Not necessarily. While the speakers listed on our website may not have worked with PepTalk in the past, they are recognized professionals in the industry and known to engage in similar events and engagements. We work with a wide variety of speaker agents and talent agencies to ensure we have the best selection of speakers, hosts, comedians and entertainers available.
We do not accommodate requests for birthday messages or any other personal, non-commercial contact with the speakers, comedians or entertainers.
We work with speakers across a variety of fee ranges, giving you the flexibility to choose someone who fits your event's needs. Virtual keynote fees in the UK and Europe typically start at £2,000, while in-person top-tier speakers can reach £25,000. In the US, virtual in-person fees range from $5,000 to over $100,000, depending on the speaker and format, such as after-dinner talks, conference keynotes, Q&As, or podcasts. Comedians generally start at £1,500 or $2,000 for a 20-minute set.
Our goal is to help you find the speaker who best matches your event’s goals and budget. We take the time to understand your event, objectives, and audience to recommend the right fit. The most expensive option isn’t always the best one, and our priority is finding the ideal speaker or expert for your needs; not the highest-priced one.
Reach out for personalised recommendations and detailed information on specific speaker fees. We’re here to offer a tailored service and are always happy to discuss your unique requirements!
There’s no additional cost for our services beyond the speaker fee — simply contact us to find the right speaker for your next business or team event. We can also work with your corporate procurement team to negotiate favourable long-term rates, simply email hello@getapeptalk.com for more information.
Partnering with PepTalk means elevating your events with our curated roster of top motivational speakers, industry experts, delivering punchy keynotes that leave a lasting impact. From talent selection, to contracts and logistics, we handle it all. We have global expert network, with over 3000 speakers from over 33 countries on our line-up.
We also provide a full range of talent, from event hosts and moderators to interviewers and corporate entertainment, ensuring your event’s success from start to finish.
PepTalk workshops are interactive learning experiences for leaders at all levels, blending theory with practical insights from industry experts. These programs, led by experienced facilitators, are designed to drive real mindset changes and equip participants with actionable skills. Workshops can be customised to meet your organisation's specific needs. Explore our workshop examples and contact us today to learn how your team can benefit.
If you notice something that needs attention or have any queries regarding an expert speaker profile, feel free to email us at experts@getapeptalk.com, and we’ll be happy to assist.