Sarah Wells

- Motivational
Keynote Speaker
Olympian | Mindset
Based in Seattle, USA
Showreel

About Sarah Wells

Meet Sarah Wells.

Former Olympic track athlete.

Sarah doesn’t just talk about overcoming adversity, she hurdled it on the world’s biggest stage. She even raced across deserts, mountains, and international airports on The Amazing Race, proving once again that grit, adaptability, and a little bit of laughter go a long way.

Her mission? To prove that excellence is not exclusive, it’s contagious.

With a masters degree in leadership, Sarah uncovers the true elements of excellence and how we can embody them every day.

Sarah’s mission is to help people see that excellence is for everyone. Sarah is committed to ensure excellence is a word we can embody on a daily basis.

Sarah’s philosophy centers on the idea that excellence isn’t about perfection, it’s about breaking free from limiting beliefs and constantly striving to outperform who you were yesterday. She believes that when you dare to break the blueprint, chase crazy ideas, and focus on doing the small things exceptionally well, excellence becomes contagious, elevating not just your life but those around you.

Renowned for her practical strategies and compelling storytelling, and cell phone charging energy, Sarah empowers audiences to find their own excellence, transform challenges into opportunities for growth, and achieve lasting success.

Description

Book Sarah Wells, Motivational Speaker

Sarah Wells motivational speaker sessions are delivered by a former Olympic track and field athlete. She didn’t just talk about overcoming adversity. She hurdled it, on the world’s biggest stage. At the 2012 London Olympics, Sarah advanced to the semifinals of the 400m hurdles. She later won silver in the same event at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. Beyond the track, Sarah raced across deserts, mountains and international airports on The Amazing Race. In every setting, she proved that grit, adaptability and a sense of humor go a long way.

Sarah’s signature story is her 16-stride strategy. Most Olympic hurdlers take 15 strides between hurdles. Sarah found that 16 suited her better instead, so she built her Olympic career around it. It’s a simple example of a bigger idea: success doesn’t come from copying the blueprint. Instead, it comes from rewriting it. Sarah holds a master’s degree in leadership. She has also spent more than a decade studying what drives excellence. As a result, she built her speaking practice around one belief: excellence isn’t exclusive, it’s contagious. Today, she works with organisations including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Google, RBC, BMO and Kraft Heinz.

What Audiences Take Away From Sarah’s Keynote Sessions

In The Pursuit of Excellence, Sarah shows individuals and teams how to build belief in themselves. She also helps them find the courage to do things differently, and develop the resilience to rise from setbacks. In Overcoming Hurdles, she reframes constant change as an opportunity rather than a threat. And in The 16 Stride Factor, her signature keynote, she challenges audiences to break the blueprint and design their own path to success.

Booking Sarah for your next event gives organisations a high-energy, story-driven experience. It turns Olympic-level resilience into practical tools for navigating change and pressure. To see Sarah alongside other motivational speakers, browse our full lineup, or read more about her Olympic career. Then get in touch to check Sarah Wells motivational speaker availability for your next event.

Keynote Topics

The Pursuit of Excellence

In this transformative keynote, Olympian Sarah Wells will reveal how we can all cultivate excellence in ourselves and in organizations. Sarah will share the core principles that drive excellence: the power of belief in yourself, the courage to do things differently, and the resilience to rise from setbacks. By going all in on your unique strengths and experiences, you can unlock success in ways only you can achieve.

Through compelling stories and real-life examples, Sarah will help audiences understand that excellence isn’t about perfection, it’s about breaking free from limiting beliefs and constantly striving to outperform who you were yesterday.

OVERCOMING HURDLES

“Change is constant, and how we respond to it defines the trajectory of our success.”

In this inspiring and transformative keynote, Olympian Sarah Wells invites you to reframe the way you think about obstacles and setbacks. Drawing from her journey as an elite athlete, Sarah will share the essential mindset shifts that empower individuals and organizations to not just face adversity, but to use it as a catalyst for growth and innovation.

Sarah knows firsthand that success is not about avoiding hurdles but mastering the art of overcoming them. With her three powerful strategies, you’ll learn how to embrace life’s detours and turn them into stepping stones toward a reality greater than you ever imagined.

THE 16 STRIDE FACTOR

True success doesn’t come from following the same path as everyone else—it comes from embracing what makes you unique and daring to think differently.

In “The 16 Stride Factor,” Olympian Sarah Wells shares the game-changing strategy that helped her defy the odds in athletics. She’ll show how individuals and organizations alike can apply this approach to supercharge their own goals and unlock new levels of success.

While most 400m hurdlers at the Olympics take 15 strides between hurdles, Sarah broke the mold by crafting a strategy that played to her strengths—taking 16 strides instead. This unconventional approach, tailored to her unique abilities, was key to her Olympic success.