Danny Crates
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World and Paralympic 800m gold medallist
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Lost his right arm in a horrific accident whilst working in Australia in 1994
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Published author of his motivational autobiography, Danny Boy
Danny Crates is one of the UK's Paralympic hero's. One of most successful athletes of the past decade, without question the pinnacle of his career was claiming gold in the T46 class at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens.
Danny is able to look back fondly on a glittering career that also saw him attain European Championship, Paralympic World Cup winner's medals, as well as world records along the way.
Facing a promising rugby career, playing at both regional and county level, Danny Crates suffered a horrific accident in 1994 whilst travelling and working in Australia, losing his right arm. Not to be deterred, Danny resumed his rugby activities, becoming the only known arm amputee playing club rugby in the country, receiving world wide media attention. He also turned his attention to athletics.
As a natural speedster, he soon found that he was competing with the best in the World in his event, the T46 400m arm amputee class. In the 1998 World Championships, Danny made his international debut, winning a silver medal in the 4 x 400m relay event, whilst setting a new European record. However, it was at the Sydney Paralympic Games in 2000 where he began his incredible individual medal tally. He was narrowly beaten into a bronze medal position in the 400m. The following year saw Danny capture the European 400m title.
He then turned his attention to the 800m - a transition which lead him to secure both the 2003 World Indoor 800m title and European 800m outdoor title. In 2004 he set a new world outdoor record with a time of 1:53.29 and became Paralympic champion. After Athens, Danny Crates set his sights firmly on the 2006 world championships, where he again won gold.
Danny was given the honour of carrying the GB flag at the Opening ceremony in Beijing 2008, but was unable to compete due to an injury sustained on the day before he was due to race. Danny reluctantly retired from International competition in July 2009 but now has his sights firmly set on becoming one of Britain's top platform motivational speakers.
Simply put, Danny Crates is one of life's natural characters; he will speak openly and from the heart. He shares his experiences readily with others, from young schoolchildren to seasoned corporate executives. Danny is an excellent speaker and motivator.
His vast experience of making keynote speeches added with his natural charm, humour and ability to tailor his delivery to suit the needs of the client ensure that additional impact required to make any event or conference one to remember!
Since retiring from international athletics, Danny crates continues to build on his reputation as a leading motivational and inspirational speaker in the world of business and sport, delivering keynote presentations around the world that leave his audience motivated and inspired to achieve their goals and targets both personally and within business.
A master storyteller – Danny's 15-year corporate speaker experience shines through. He is dynamic and presents with warmth and humour, quickly captivating his audience, building his presentation around his "5 Key Elements to Success" which resonates with every department within the business or team, and guarantees excellent returns for his clients' way beyond presentation day.
Danny Crates tailors his presentation for each audience and transfers his Paralympic success into results for them, whether it be overcoming hurdles, change management, optimising personal performance and excellence, goal setting, teamwork or building exceptional results from failure.
Alongside his motivational speaking, Danny is a published author of his motivational autobiography "Danny Boy", TV presenter and sports commentator, and he continues to develop his own business portfolio. He is patron of several charities and loves to challenge himself through sporting fundraising events, including Ride Across Britain, Wings for Life World Run, Ride London, the London Marathon and many more.
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Superb! What set Danny Crates aside from other speakers was his ability to draw on the parallels between business and sport which was exactly what we wanted. He exceeded all expectations.
Danny is an absolute gem. His professionalism and passion for sport shines through not only his presentation but also in conversations with his audience/attendees. I've been involved in sport at many levels and in many different environments and I must say that Danny is the most inspiring athlete I have met – he is a true gentleman and a great ambassador for Sport.
Danny was an inspiration to everyone at the conference. Out of 900 people, Danny got 98.9% score, which was the highest we have ever had.
Danny Crates was inspirational. Whether talking to children or presenting to adults he had the audience riveted, and we have already received a number of requests from other organisations keen to work with him.
Danny Crates – great! Worth the whole day. Please find more like this – not education, just pure inspiration – superb!!
Danny was a reliable honest interesting a truly inspirational speaker who engaged the audience with humour , interest while delivering the messages we asked of him. Great person to have at any event we would certainly recommend him to others.
Danny Crates was the star of our conference. He certainly knows how to tell a story and had us laughing one minute, crying the next. Even better, his insights into what has led to his success were a really important lesson for our organisation, and provided much food for thought.
Danny Crates worked with us at several of our events providing motivational speaking and an insight into the mind of a Paralympian. With Danny's passion, enthusiasm and great stories it is difficult for an audience not to be captivated. In fact during one presentation the whole audience gave him a standing ovation. Danny will certainly add great things to an event. A great guy with a great story.
Clients often ask about purchasing books for giveaways and delegate packs. Below you’ll find a selection of products by Danny Crates. Click the images to view on Amazon's website. For bulk orders, please speak with your Booking Agent.
How to book Danny Crates for your event
To book Danny Crates, please submit an online enquiry to booking.agent@nmp.co.uk or contact one of our booking agents on +44 (0)20 3822 0003.
One of Britain's best-known Paralympic athletes - winner of 14 medals
Double Paralympic medallist for judo
Former British army officer and land mine amputee
Disabled explorer and inspiring motivational speaker
Explorer who became the first blind man to race to the South Pole
