The first jockey to be Sports Personality of the Year, Tony rode to glory in the Grand National, Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle. He has over 4,300 wins under his belt. Now a Director of the PJA, Tony talks about the biggest moments – and the chilling fact that he’s broken hundreds of bones along the way. He also explains his will to win and how he’s come back from injuries and setbacks even more determined.
View / Submit“Genuine, down to earth and humble alongside driven and passionate. He is top of the list of the speakers we’ve had”
Morgan Sindall Group
Tony McCoy is the most successful jump jockey of all time and is now an ITV sports presenter. He was British Champion Jockey every year for almost two decades, he won over 2,000 more races than any other jockey, and has won most major races in the calendar, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National.
Starting his racing career as a teenager in Ireland, AP won his first race aged 17 and within two years was racing in England. In his first season in England he won 74 races. In the following season he won his first champions’ title. From winning that first title in the 1995/96 season, AP went on to retain the title every year subsequently. An unprecedented run of success in almost any sporting arena.
One of the most successful British sportspeople of all time, AP has become a famous and popular figure, winning BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the first jockey to win the award. Having fallen over 650 times and broken bones throughout his body (750 breaks at the last count), AP’s commitment to winning has won admirers in racing and beyond. Alongside his personal story and his never-say-die attitude, AP recounts playing golf with Tiger Woods, training with Arsenal, and whether all those broken bones really do make him the ‘toughest man in sport’.
Drawing from a wealth of stories, AP talks about the ingredients of success and a resilient mind-set, overcoming challenges and the importance of mentorship and building trust in teams. He also considers the use of data and technology within sport, managing success and fostering a healthy work-life balance to help focus.
AP has appeared on A Question of Sport, A League of their Own and Good Morning Britain, and was the subject of the BBC documentary Being AP. He also competed in a former-Champions charity race for research into pancreatic cancer, raising over £2.5 million, and has worked with the BBC for their Sport Relief Campaign.