London Olympics gold medallist, consultant and speaker
Available for motivational speaker events, media engagements, coaching and consulting. Topics include the Olympics, achieving high performance, women in sport, data and analytics in sport.
Available for motivational speaker events, media engagements, coaching and consulting. Topics include the Olympics, achieving high performance, women in sport, data and analytics in sport.
I'm fascinated by the art and the science of high performance, and how to bring the two together.
I competed in the London and Beijing Olympics winning first a bronze and then a gold in the double sculls alongside Dame Katherine Grainger. I am a two time world champion and ergo record holder.
My academic background is in science and I have a PhD in applied mathematics. I bring an analytical perspective to most things!
I formerly worked at McKinsey and now consult independently on various projects in the sports/olympics sector. I have particular interest in digital and analytics projects, and sports performance projects.
I am a mother of two young boys and I live on a small farm. I've newly taken up beekeeping and am enjoying learning new farming skills. As a family we often camp on the farm and have fun with things like dens and campfires.
I am an experienced NED and board advisor, and am a founding patron of the Women's Sport Trust
Experienced motivational speaker and facilitator
Print and broadcast media, offering athlete and science perspective
Areas of expertise include: digital transformation, science-to-human translating, sports organisations, the Olympics.
Life coaching, mentoring and development sessions for individual clients and teams
Anna is currently delivering remote sessions where necessary, and can offer a fully interactive session using phone input from the audience
Anna can speak on resilience, communication and motivation during difficult times for organisations who are seeking ways to mitigate the current challenges.
As an unlikely Olympic champion who did not pick up an oar until the age of 18, this talk explores in practical detail how the ingredients for success were put together, and how perfection was not necessary for the perfect result.
Whilst training for the 2012 Olympics I was surrounded by many successful individuals, who were wholly different in their strengths and approaches, and many of whom went on to become Olympic Champions. In this talk we explore this strength in diversity and also ask the question - what did they all have in common?
From a modest Midlands background and a comprehensive school education, I was able to explore the alien worlds of Olympic sport, Oxbridge and the top levels of corporate life. In this talk we explore the secrets of moving between, and being welcomed in, diverse universes without losing our own identity.
For secondary students I tell my Olympic story with a focus on the idea that there is not one single mould for success, but many routes. I emphasise the need to try out lots of things in life and to be resilient. For primary students I focus on bringing the Olympics to life with a fun interactive session and some simple strong messaging about setting goals and being resilient. I undertake some state school sessions each year at no charge, please ask for details.
Anna Watkins is the London 2012 Olympic Champion in the double sculls, which she won alongside Katherine Grainger. Her ten-year rowing career took in two Olympic medals, two world titles, and many other international medals. She has won world rowing crew of the year twice, in 2010 and 2012, and has been the holder of the world record for 5km on the ergo. She is still the fastest ever British woman to complete a 2km ergo, in 6 minutes and 26 seconds.
Anna grew up in the Staffordshire Moorlands but was not a particularly sporty child. She first began rowing at university, aged 18, and was immediately fast-tracked into the national squad through the World Class Start talent identification scheme. In her first international season (aged 21) she won the world U23 championships, gaining a place in the full senior squad the following season. Anna’s success on the world stage improved incrementally and she first reached the world championship podium in 2007. The following year's Beijing Olympics she won a bronze medal in one of the tightest finishes of the regatta.
In the years leading up to the 2012 London Olympics Anna maintained an unbeaten run for 3 years, improving to silver and then gold. The process of this improvement - in spite of injuries and setbacks - is the focus of much of Anna’s speaking work. Anna has raced in all boat classes but specialised in the double sculls, a two person boat, which requires a particularly intense partnership.
Anna studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge and went on to complete a PhD in Applied Mathematics at Reading University. Professionally Anna worked in data science, advising on behalf of McKinsey to some of the world’s largest engineering companies and sports teams on their data and analytics strategies.
Anna’s independent consulting work has largely focused on training and development. This spans both the digital and analytics side, and also professional development sessions based on her experience in elite sport.
She is founding Patron of the Women’s Sport Trust and a former director of the British Athletes Commission. She was awarded an MBE for services to rowing in 2013, has honorary doctorates from Keele and Staffordshire Universities, and is an honorary fellow of Reading University.
Anna has two children and lives on a farm. She enjoys practical hobbies including beekeeping, farm work, and working on her camper van conversion.
For more information on fees and availability, send me a message. Tell me about your event, and I will get back to you soon with more information.