Be Your Best Self.

Danielle Brown is an archer, a double Paralympic gold medallist and five times World Champion.
She was World Number 1 for her entire career. She also achieved something exceptionally rare - she successfully transitioned from the paralympic team to the able-bodied team. Danielle wanted to discover what it took to be the best in the world. She got there. Because she always believed she would.
Danielle is articulate, approachable, open, honest, friendly and with a genuine wish to share her experience and to help others. Refreshingly, in an age of “celebrity”, she is not a “prima donna”. She simply works hard, with focus, to ensure the success of events at which she is invited to speak.

Born in Yorkshire in 1988, she shared her parents’ passion for the outdoors and her childhood was filled with sporting activities. But this crashed to a halt as a teenager when she had constant, chronic pain in her feet. Finally diagnosed as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), it affected all areas of her life. Determined that this life-changing setback would not beat her, she looked for a sport that she could do. She took up archery for her fifteenth birthday and began her very rapid rise to Paralympic glory, which would see her dominate her sport for over seven years. At the same time, fitted in with her training, she studied for a Degree in Law, graduating with First Class Honours.

Winning gold in Beijing was an incredible experience. Hungry for more, she relocated to the Archery Performance Centre at Lilleshall, to train full time. Always striving to improve, she achieved something exceptionally rare: she was selected for the able-bodied team. In 2010, she became the first disabled athlete to represent England in an able-bodied discipline and won the gold medal in the team event.
London 2012 was her target. Danielle worked incredibly hard, determined to retain her Paralympic title on home soil. The proudest moment of her life was receiving her gold medal in front of the home crowd at London. The support of the entire country was overwhelming. But, on a personal note, it was also the first time that her family and friends had seen her compete internationally, which made standing on the podium a truly special moment.
Danielle was fully committed to making the team for Rio and trying for her third gold medal. But life has a way of throwing setbacks at us when we least expect it. In 2013, the rules of competition were changed. Danielle was told that she did not classify under the new rules and could no longer compete at Paralympic events.
Danielle had started archery because she was fed up with all the limitations imposed on her life. Archery had helped a disillusioned teenager come to terms with having a disability. But in one moment, for reasons completely outside her control, everything she had worked so hard for was gone. Simply because she didn’t “tick a box”.

Speaking

Danielle’s clients include: RBS, Serco, Hermes, National Express, Zen Communications, Peninsula Business Services Ltd, ATL (NEU), Kohler Mira, British Athletics, Broomfield and Alexander, Made In The Midlands, Mensa, Buy Yorkshire, Shrewsbury Hospital, North Yorkshire County Council, Luton Council of Faiths, HMPS Foston Hall (HM Prison Service),The Business Desk, Harper Adams University, The University of Wolverhampton, The University of Leicester, Queen Mary University, The University of Coventry, The University of Aberdeen, Birmingham Metropolitan College and North Shropshire College, and Wolters Kluwer.

Danielle is a true inspiration! She spoke at the first RBS UN Day of Persons with A Disability event, highlighting the spectrum of disability. Every part of her presentation was a reminder that ‘you can’ achieve anything you want to set out to do, even if barriers are put in your way. The post-event comments really highlighted how inspiring Danielle is and also the excitement of seeing two gold medals. Danielle is a true professional and we would certainly would love to work with her, in future events across RBS

Marc Reece-Cohen

RBS Inclusion Manager

We engaged Danielle to inspire a group of our senior leaders on how to perform under pressure. What are the tips and techniques business leaders require to raise their game at work? Listening to Danielle’s personal journey is, of course, inspiration enough. What she also does, however, is weave in her knowledge of sport and business psychology. This blend is powerful content — as is the opportunity actually to touch and see two gold medals. Attendees were both thrilled and excited to meet and listen to Danielle.

Stuart Thomas

Masgroves