Helen Richardson Walsh

Gold Medallist & Motivational and Equality Speaker

Helen Richardson-Walsh is a former Great Britain and England hockey player, Olympic gold medallist, author, and trainee sport psychologist.

She began her international hockey career in 1999 at just 17 years old, making history the following year in Sydney as the youngest woman to represent GB hockey at an Olympic Games. Over an impressive 18-year career, Helen competed in four Olympic Games, earning 293 caps and 19 medals, including Olympic bronze in London 2012, European gold in 2015, and ultimately, an Olympic gold medal in Rio 2016. Helen played a pivotal role in Rio, being one of only two players to score during a nail-biting penalty shootout in the final and earning recognition as one of the best in the world.

As a member of the senior leadership team for 11 years, Helen was instrumental in transforming the team from inconsistent performers to consistent medal contenders on the world stage. She attributes this success to the strong team culture that was built, which sparked her passion for understanding how the right environments can help people and teams flourish. This interest led her to pursue studies in Psychology, and with two Master’s degrees in Organisational and Sport Psychology, she now applies her experience and knowledge to help other teams and individuals thrive.

Helen, together with her wife Kate, made history as the first same sex married couple to win Olympic gold on the same team. In their book, Winning Together, they share powerful lessons from their journey with the Great Britain hockey team and offer tools to help others become their best selves and build better teams. Today, Helen works as a trainee sport psychologist within Olympic and professional teams and is a sought-after keynote speaker, focusing on topics she is passionate about, including culture, leadership, team dynamics, personal growth, mental health, diversity, and equality.

SPEAKING TOPICS

Helen speaks about her success at the 2016 Olympic Games and how a combination of team values, behaviours and tactics can create a winning culture ‘Be the Difference, Create History and Inspire the Future’ was their team mantra.

Helen has spoken at numbers events across the UK, and her speaking topics include –

Winning Together: How to ‘win’ as people and teams.The power to be a consistently high performing team lies within you and all of your people. Helen shares how an empowered team driven culture with aligned vision, values and behaviours was key to the success of both individuals and the collective team. In a team where every person had value, and an important role to play, culture was defined by the collective. She will explore the processes they went through to achieve this, alongside the psychological tools used to help increase awareness of self and others which are as valuable today as when Helen competed in the team. Through this work people were enabled to manage their state, perform consistently, and live their super strengths. Unlocking this power in your team can help you win together.

The Inner Game: Mental Tools from Elite Sport.Having taken a penalty in an Olympic final to win gold, Helen knows exactly what it means to perform under extreme pressure. With compelling stories and evidence-based insights from sport psychology, Helen shares powerful mental strategies used by elite athletes and translates them into practical tools to help individuals and teams stay composed, adapt to challenges, and deliver when it matters most. This is a talk for anyone looking to raise their game, unlock potential, and build sustainable high performance under pressure.

Belonging Drives Performance: The Power of Inclusion in High-Pressure Environments As one half of the first same-sex married couple to win Olympic gold, Helen shares her lived experience of inclusion at the highest level of sport. Speaking with authenticity, she explores how psychological safety and belonging unlock individual potential and team cohesion. By being able to bring her whole self to the team, Helen thrived – and so did the group. Helen offers practical insight into building inclusive cultures where people feel seen, valued, and free to perform at their best. A powerful message for leaders aiming to create environments where diversity is celebrated and performance flourishes.

Strong Enough to Struggle: Resilience and Well-being in High-Pressure Environments Helen has spoken openly about her struggles with mental health following career-threatening injuries, bringing a powerful authenticity to this keynote. Drawing on her own journey through recovery and elite performance, she explores how true resilience isn’t about just pushing through – but about acknowledging challenges, building healthy habits, and seeking support. With practical tools and real-life insight, Helen helps leaders and teams understand how to protect well-being in high-pressure environments and foster cultures where people feel safe, supported, and able to perform at their best.