Sally Gunnell OBE

One of Britain’s greatest ever track athletes, Sally Gunnell was the first woman in history to hold all four international gold medals at the same time – Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European, a record she held for over 20 years until Nicola Adams equalled the feat.

Sally first rose to prominence after winning the 100m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, before taking the 400m Olympic title and breaking the world record at the World Championships in Germany.

After having to retire with an Achilles injury, Sally presented GMTV’s wellbeing strand and became a leading spokeswomen for improving health and fitness. She also started to talk to companies about healthy living in the workplace and good practice in nutrition, exercise and stress management. Rather than deal with injury and illness when they arise, Sally advocates we should work harder to prevent them in the first place. She heads an extensive corporate wellbeing programme, with a network of professional coaches, nutritionists and advisors available to provide a bespoke solution for companies.

In presentations and in her book Be Your Best, Sally recalls those who said she wasn’t tough enough or the right size and shape to achieve at the highest levels. She describes the need to prove to herself that she could still become champion, emphasising the important role played by her family and friends which helped her control her nerves under the pressures of competition.