Available to book
Katharine Merry
Olympics
Transform athletic performance with Katharine Merry, speaker and Olympic medallist. Katharine works with organisations to deliver elite performance coaching and motivational insights, bringing authority as a world-class athlete and respected sports commentator.
After Dinner Sports
Event Hosts
Olympian
Sport
Athlete
After Dinner Speakers
Katharine Merry is a rare athlete who achieved outstanding success at the junior and senior levels of Athletics. At the young age of 14, she was already recognized as the fastest girl in the world. Twelve years later, she became the fastest woman in the world over the 400m distance.
From 18, she was the fastest woman in the UK and entered the 2000 season with one sole objective - to compete in the Sydney Olympics. In front of a crowd of 112,000 spectators, Katharine ran a lifetime best to win the Bronze medal.
The following year, she solidified her position as the fastest woman in the world by completing the gruelling one-lap event in an impressive time of 49.59 seconds. She is still ranked as one of the fastest women in the UK for indoor and outdoor sprint events.
Since retiring from Athletics, Katharine has become a highly respected lead Commentator and Event host. She is the only female TV lead commentator in Athletics, which has led to her working at numerous Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and European Championships.
She has also served as the lead commentator for Channel 4 at the Paralympics and Paralympic World Cup events. Additionally, Katharine is a regular on Radio 5 Live and confidently holds her own on the hugely competitive "Fighting Talk" program.
As a speaker, Katharine brings insights from a world-class athlete who has transitioned to a successful commentator. Her unique journey offers powerful lessons in resilience, achieving excellence, and breaking barriers. Her experience ensures your team or business is inspired, motivated, and ready to tackle any challenge.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
Email katharine.merry@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Katharine's availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience.
Katharine Merry draws on her career trajectory — from being identified as the fastest girl in the world at age 14 to winning Olympic Bronze in Sydney — to structure talks around the progression from junior to elite senior performance.
Katharine Merry speaks on Olympic competition, elite athletic performance, and the transition from professional sport to broadcasting. She won Bronze in the 400m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and subsequently became the only female lead TV commentator in Athletics, covering Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and European Championships.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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