Sarah Barrow is one of Britain’s most decorated female divers, From a competing European Champion to representing Team GB at 2 Olympic Games
From becoming a European Champion to representing Team GB at two Olympic Games, Sarah’s journey is one of resilience, perseverance, and passion.
Sarah first discovered diving at the age of 12, making the switch from gymnastics after a fun session at her local pool in Plymouth. She was quickly spotted by renowned coach Andy Banks and began competing seriously by 2001. A year later, she won her first international competition in Belgium and never looked back.
By the age of 16, Sarah had already secured a place on the Senior British team. After missing out on Beijing 2008 by the narrowest of margins, and following a challenging back injury that forced her out of competition for over a year, Sarah returned stronger than ever. Her breakthrough came in 2012 when she and synchro partner Tonia Couch made history by winning 10m synchro gold at the European Championships – the first British female pair to win a European diving medal in 74 years.
Later that year, Sarah fulfilled a lifelong dream by competing at the London 2012 Olympic Games, followed by a best-ever British women’s finish in the 10m event at the 2013 World Championships (4th place). She went on to claim further European medals, 10m platform gold in 2014, Commonwealth silver, and made her second Olympic appearance at Rio 2016 before retiring from competitive diving.
Today, Sarah brings her experience and insights to schools, events, and organisations – sharing her powerful story of chasing dreams, dealing with setbacks, and the mindset it takes to perform at the highest level. Her journey shows that the road to success is rarely smooth, but with determination and self-belief, anything is possible.
Even individual athletes rely on the support of a team. This talk highlights the importance of working together, trusting others, and playing your part. Pupils will hear how teamwork creates success in sport and how these skills can make a difference in school, friendships, and everyday situations.
What does it take to bounce back from disappointment? Our athletes open up about tough moments in their careers, from injuries to defeats, and how resilience helped them keep going. Pupils will learn valuable lessons about never giving up, adapting to change, and staying strong when times get tough.
Staying motivated is not always easy, even for elite athletes. In this talk, pupils will hear how our athletes stay focused, pick themselves up after setbacks, and keep striving for their best. They share tips and mindset techniques pupils can use to stay motivated in school, sport, and life.
The Olympics represents the pinnacle of sport, and our athletes give a behind-the-scenes insight into what it is really like to compete or aim to compete on the world’s biggest stage. They share stories of preparation, pressure, teamwork, and pride, inspiring pupils with lessons about ambition, dedication, and chasing dreams, whatever they may be.
It was very refreshing to see a normal person can become someone special with hard work and dedication, very inspiring.
Inspirational Athletes connects schools & communities with elite athletes who inspire, motivate and engage young people through talks, workshops and sports sessions.
Address:
Stratford-Upon-Avon, CV37 1RD
Phone:
020 7993 2724
Inspirational Speakers has been providing high profile keynote speakers and entertainers for over 25 years.
