- One of Team GB's most decorated coxswains
- Winner of Paralympic, World, and European titles
- Cancer survivor who competed through treatment
Erin Kennedy OBE is one of Great Britain’s most decorated coxswains, a two-time Paralympic champion, and a Guinness World Record holder. Erin is known for her leadership at the highest level of international sport and her openness in sharing lessons from elite performance and personal adversity.
Erin trains full time as a coxswain with the GB Rowing Team and has made history as the first coxswain to simultaneously hold Paralympic, World, European, and World Record titles. Competing across both Olympic and Paralympic pathways, she is best known for steering the Mixed Coxed Four to sustained international dominance, including gold medals at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, extending Great Britain’s long-standing winning streak in the event.
In 2022, Erin was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer while competing internationally. She continued to race during treatment, later returning to full competition following chemotherapy and a double mastectomy, documenting her journey to raise awareness among young women. Her story has been covered by major UK broadcasters and international media, including CNN, NBC, and the Olympic Channel. Alongside her sporting achievements, Erin was awarded an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours and an OBE in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to rowing and breast cancer awareness.
Erin delivers keynote talks, workshops, school engagements, and mentorship programmes for corporate, public sector, sporting, and educational audiences, and has worked with organisations ranging from the British Army to the NHS, Parliament, and with leading brands. Her presentations translate lessons from high-performance sport into insights on leadership, teamwork, and resilience. Audiences learn practical strategies for leadership under pressure, effective communication in high-stakes environments, and reframing challenges into opportunities.
Book Erin to bring world-class performance insight, resilience, and leadership experience to your organisation.
Erin's Showreel and Videos
Topics, Sessions and Talks
Leading When The Pressure Is On
Erin Kennedy OBE explores leadership from the unique perspective of a coxswain, where responsibility, decision-making, and accountability converge under extreme pressure. Drawing on Paralympic competition and years within elite British rowing, she examines different leadership styles, when to lead from the front or the background, and how trust is built within teams. The session connects high performance sport with organisational leadership, offering practical insight into leading people through uncertainty and high-stakes environments.
The Power Of Clear Communication
As the voice of the boat, Erin Kennedy OBE demonstrates how precise, calm communication can determine success or failure in elite sport. Using real race scenarios and training environments, she breaks down how clarity, tone, and timing influence performance, particularly under stress. Her approach highlights listening as much as speaking, and shows how strong communication cultures improve decision-making, reduce error, and strengthen trust across teams in fast-paced professional settings.
Erin Kennedy OBE centres teamwork on individuals first, showing how collective success depends on understanding strengths, pressures, and shared responsibility. Drawing on her experience steering world championship and Paralympic crews, she explores how alignment, role clarity, and mutual accountability drive sustained performance. The session translates elite sporting principles into practical frameworks for teams navigating complexity, change, and high expectations across business, military, and public sector environments.
Erin Kennedy OBE shares an honest account of resilience shaped by elite sport and a breast cancer diagnosis during her competitive career. She focuses on reframing challenges, managing setbacks, and maintaining purpose through uncertainty. Blending personal experience with high-performance psychology, Erin demonstrates how resilience is built daily, not reserved for crisis, and how perspective, adaptability, and mindset can support both personal wellbeing and professional effectiveness.
Goal Setting: Beyond Ambition
Operating at the top of international sport requires constant reflection, adjustment, and focus. Erin Kennedy OBE examines how effective goal setting goes beyond ambition to include energy management, recovery, and long-term sustainability. Drawing on her journey to multiple Paralympic titles, she outlines how to set meaningful goals, measure progress honestly, and remain motivated once success is achieved, offering insight that resonates with high performers across sectors.
Why We Recommend Booking Erin
Erin Kennedy OBE delivers extraordinary insights on peak performance and resilience, drawing from her unique experience of winning Paralympic gold just 19 months after cancer treatment whilst maintaining an unbeaten competitive record since 2010. Her practical leadership strategies and tools for thriving under extreme pressure will transform how your team approaches challenges and achieves breakthrough results. Secure Erin now to unlock your organisation's potential for excellence in the face of adversity.
In a room of some of the country's most Senior ranking military personnel, Erin delivered a seamless, captivating presentation that shone with confidence and professionalism. Not only this, but she blended our key conference messages into the keynote seamlessly and answered some tricky questions with ease – we look forward to welcoming her back.
Lt Col Bodman
Ministry of Defence
Erin held a room of 3500 jovial ball-goers in the palm of her hand. She talked beautifully about her experiences and her passion for making change and inspiring other is clear. As someone who is not familiar with the sport of rowing, she delivered tangible takeaways that made me stop and think. An excellent communicator and a beautiful story-teller.
Moshin Issa CBE
Co-CEO & Co-Founder, EG Group
She was able to deliver a very personal story, relaying her journey as a sportswoman and her personal challenges to reach the highest levels in her discipline. What was all the more powerful is that Erin was able to relate her story to that of business, finding common ground and language which made it relatable to our tangible business needs and mantra, which drives performance through mindsets. An excellent, relatable and personal speaker, would highly recommend.
Stephen Dixon
UK Sales Director, Beiersdorf
