Sarah Wells

Excellence isn’t reserved for a select few—it’s a mindset that anyone can adopt, no matter who you are, or where you begin. 

In this transformative keynote, Olympian Sarah Wells will reveal how we can all cultivate excellence in ourselves and in organizations. Sarah will share the core principles that drive excellence: the power of belief in yourself, the courage to do things differently, and the resilience to rise from setbacks. By going all in on your unique strengths and experiences, you can unlock success in ways only you can achieve.

Through compelling stories and real-life examples, Sarah will help audiences understand that excellence isn’t about perfection, it’s about breaking free from limiting beliefs and constantly striving to outperform who you were yesterday.

With more than a decade of competition at the highest level, along with a master’s degree in leadership & innovation from the Smith School of Business, Sarah delivers powerful, research-backed insights that unlock the mindset and practical tools to cultivate excellence in everything you do.

Join Sarah to discover how to make excellence your daily standard and watch it transform not just your work but every facet of your life.

Key take-aways:

• Excellence is for Everyone: Learn how to adopt an excellence-driven mindset, no matter who you are or where you start, unlocking your potential for growth and success.
• The Power of Going ALL IN: Discover how believing in yourself is the foundation of achieving greatness, and how this belief can propel you to break through limiting beliefs.
• Excellence is Contagious: Discover how surrounding yourself with high standards can elevate your performance and create a ripple effect in your organization.
• Courage to Be Different: Understand the importance of daring to take unconventional paths and leaning into your unique strengths to create success only you can achieve.
• Strength in Setbacks: Gain practical strategies for turning failures into learning moments, understanding that resilience in the face of setbacks is key to long-term success.

Change is constant, and how we respond to it defines the trajectory of our success. In this inspiring and transformative keynote, Olympian Sarah Wells invites you to reframe the way you think about obstacles and setbacks. Drawing from her journey as an elite athlete, Sarah will share the essential mindset shifts that empower individuals and organizations to not just face adversity, but to use it as a catalyst for growth and innovation.

Sarah knows firsthand that success is not about avoiding hurdles but mastering the art of overcoming them. With her three powerful strategies, you’ll learn how to embrace life’s detours and turn them into stepping stones toward a reality greater than you ever imagined. Through her engaging stories of resilience, grit, and excellence, Sarah will reveal how cultivating a mindset of adaptability and excellence helps you thrive in uncertain times.

This keynote offers more than just inspiration—it provides actionable tools and strategies that your audience can apply immediately. Sarah will show how excellence, resilience, and a willingness to face challenges head-on can transform obstacles into opportunities. Attendees will leave with renewed confidence, armed with the skills to embrace change with grace and turn setbacks into successes.

Key take-aways:

• Unexpected changes can lead to even better outcomes, if you’re willing to embrace new opportunities.
• Lean into your strengths during change, as they provide the best path for leading others through uncertainty.
• Believe in yourself, even when plans change, because your adaptability will keep you moving forward.
• Your past experiences and skills are powerful tools that help you thrive in the face of change.
• Your unwavering commitment and energy inspire others to stay focused, even in uncertain times

In today’s fast-paced world, true success doesn’t come from following the same path as everyone else—it comes from embracing what makes you unique and daring to think differently. In “The 16 Stride Factor,” Olympian Sarah Wells shares the game-changing strategy that helped her defy the odds in athletics. She’ll show how individuals and organizations alike can apply this approach to supercharge their own goals and unlock new levels of success.

While most 400m hurdlers at the Olympics take 15 strides between hurdles, Sarah broke the mold by crafting a strategy that played to her strengths—taking 16 strides instead. This unconventional approach, tailored to her unique abilities, was key to her Olympic success.

In this dynamic presentation, Sarah will challenge you to embrace unconventional approaches, leverage your team’s distinctive abilities, and cultivate a culture that celebrates experimentation and exploration without fear of failure or a need for guaranteed outcomes.

Get ready to break away from tradition, harness your organization’s unique strengths, and discover how to achieve success in a way that only you can.

Key take-aways:

• Conformity Crushes Creativity: When we embrace unconventional thinking and break away from traditional approaches, we open up new paths to success that others may overlook.
• Lead with Authenticity: We inspire our teams most powerfully when we lead in a way that’s true to our unique strengths, rather than trying to mimic how others inspire.
• Inspire Boldness Through Action: By taking risks and not being afraid to try, we encourage those around us to step outside their comfort zones and make bold moves too.
• Failure Fuels Growth: Whether or not our experiments go to plan, each effort provides valuable lessons that drive future innovation and evolution.

What could your team do if they believed anything was possible? What if every setback fueled your next breakthrough? What if every challenge revealed a hidden opportunity? Sarah’s story is a testament to that possibility.

As an Olympian and an Amazing Race contestant, she has transformed trials into triumphs, mastering a 4-step system to help your team chart the course to an Amazing Race!

In this high-energy keynote, Sarah will reveal the proven system she’s used to transform fierce competition and unexpected roadblocks into unforgettable achievements. Through vivid storytelling and hard-earned insights from both the track and the world’s toughest race course, Sarah will guide your audience to:

• Adopt a Champion’s Mindset: Cultivate unwavering belief in your goals—empowering your people to take bold action and stay the course, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
• Turn Setbacks into Stepping Stones: Master the art of reframing every challenge as a springboard for innovation and growth, so your team sees roadblocks as the fuel for their next big win.
• Drive Outstanding Results: Discover how to identify and amplify individual and collective talents, unlocking extraordinary performance and breakthrough results.

This session is a game‑changer for any organization seeking to energize teams, accelerate performance, and achieve breakthrough results. Get ready to revitalize your ambition, ignite your passion, and set the pace for an amazing race—your race—toward a future where nothing can hold you back.

Key take-aways:

• Embrace a Champion’s Mindset: Equip your team with the confidence and habits to take bold action—even when the path is uncertain.
• Transform Setbacks into Accelerators: Turn every challenge into a catalyst for creativity, innovation, and forward momentum.
• Harness Unique Strengths: Identify and amplify individual and collective talents to unlock breakthrough performance.
• Sustain Unstoppable Momentum: Build the tools and practices needed to maintain energy, collaboration, and progress mile after mile.

Join Sarah for ‘Run with an Olympian,’ a unique and energizing bonus where Sarah will go for a run with anyone who wants to join, creating an unforgettable experience for attendees who want to connect, recharge, and be inspired while on the move!

Give your attendees a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hold Sarah’s Pan Am Games silver medal. A tangible symbol of resilience, dedication, and the pursuit of excellence.

Enhance your event with a ‘VIP Meet and Greet,’ an exclusive opportunity for select attendees to connect personally, ask questions, and gain unique insights in a smaller group setting. Sarah will also be sure to bring her medal 🙂

Offer your attendees a fun and meaningful keepsake with custom temporary tattoos inspired by Sarah’s Olympic tattoo story, reminding them to go all in and pursue excellence, no matter the guarantee of the outcome.

Celebrate excellence within your organization by nominating standout individuals in advance and honoring the chosen one(s) live on stage in a fun and inspiring spotlight that showcases their exceptional contributions.