New Year’s Honours Shine a Light on Sporting Heroes: Including The Right Address Speakers

06 Jan New Year’s Honours Shine a Light on Sporting Heroes: Including The Right Address Speakers

The 2025 New Year Honours List salutes some incredible work and dedication from the cream of people in different walks of life. All eyes are on sporting heroes, including two highly popular motivational speakers: Jaco van Gass, who receives the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and Hannah Cockroft, who receives Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Jaco van Gass: From Soldier to Paralympic Champion and Inspiring Speaker

One could characterise Jaco’s life as a perfect example of perseverance. He served in Afghanistan and suffered severe injuries while serving in the Parachute Regiment. This life-altering incident catalysed an amazing transformation. Jaco took up cycling and, through this sport, has been able to harness his energy and determination to achieve great success, right up to winning a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Most recently, Jaco won two more Gold medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics – in the C3 3,000m individual pursuit final and C1 to C5 750m team sprint.  These latest victories were achieved despite Jaco being hit by a car in the week leading up to the competition! 

Apart from his success in sport, Jaco is now a leading motivational speaker in demand and inspires audiences around the world with his powerful story through The Right Address. His topics include:

• Overcoming Adversity: How Jaco faced and conquered what seemed impossible, life experiences have resonated deep in people’s hearts. He shares effective ways of passing through a tough situation and keeping your mind positive.
• The Importance of Mindset: He says that no matter what the challenges are, mental strength is very important to overcome them. And Jaco’s insights into cultivating a winning mindset will be of real value to individuals and teams striving for success.
• Teamwork and Leadership: He has drawn on his military background and sporting experiences to emphasise the need for collaboration, communication, and effective leadership in realising collective goals.
• Resilience and Adaptability: Jaco’s story embodies the ability to adapt to new circumstances and find strength in the face of change. He inspires audiences to embrace change and find new paths to success.

Jaco’s sincerity and flair leave an incredible mark on the audiences, motivating them toward embracing challenges and striving for their full potential.

Hannah Cockroft: Inspiring Generations Through Sport

Having lived with cerebral palsy all her life, “Hurricane Hannah” dominated wheelchair racing for more than a decade. She is the multiple record-breaker, Paralympic multi-gold medallist, and among the most favourite figures of British sport. Hannah was selected to compete at the 2024 Paris Paralympics and went on to win gold in both the 100m and the 800m T34 bringing her Olympic gold medals tally to nine.

Beyond her achievements on the track, Hannah is now a strong advocate for disability rights and an inspirational motivational speaker with The Right Address. She speaks to groups on:

• Perseverance and Determination: Her life speaks volumes about determination. She has spoken about the effort it takes to overcome obstacles and push limits to achieve extraordinary success.
• Setting Goals and Achieving Peak Performance: Hannah has become a role model in setting challenging goals, finding a way to strategise, and bringing peak performance to sport and life.
• Believing in Yourself: Her determination and self-belief strike a profound chord with viewers. She exhorts others to confidently follow their aspirations and accept their individual qualities.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Hannah is very passionate about diversity and inclusion. She takes every opportunity to advocate for a more inclusive society.

She leaves audiences feeling encouraged and inspired to pursue their goals with renewed vigour because of her contagious enthusiasm and inspirational approach.

A Celebration of Excellence

If you are looking to inspire your audiences with excellent sporting speakers or motivational speakers in the UK, please contact The Right Address on +44(0)1895 827 800 or info@therightaddress.co.uk