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Kylie Grimes MBE is a triple Paralympian, wheelchair rugby champion and motivational speaker who has represented Great Britain across both athletics and wheelchair rugby at the London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Best known for making history as the first woman ever to win Paralympic gold in wheelchair rugby, Kylie has become an inspiring figure in elite sport and disability advocacy. Her remarkable journey from life-changing injury to Paralympic success has made her a highly respected speaker on resilience, teamwork and high performance. Through honest storytelling and powerful insight, Kylie shares lessons on overcoming adversity, adapting to change and thriving under pressure.
Following a devastating spinal injury in 2006, Kylie rebuilt her life through sport and quickly discovered a passion for wheelchair rugby. Determined to challenge herself physically and mentally, she also completed a 450-kilometre cycle from Vietnam to Cambodia to raise funds for the charity Regain. By 2009, Kylie was competing for London Wheelchair Rugby Club and, just two years later, she joined the Great Britain squad and qualified for her first Paralympic Games at London 2012. After helping the team achieve a strong fifth place finish, Kylie transitioned into athletics in 2015, competing in the World Championships in Doha before representing Great Britain in the F51 club throw at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, where she finished an impressive fourth.
In 2017, Kylie returned to wheelchair rugby and continued to establish herself as one of the leading athletes in the sport. She helped Great Britain secure gold at the 2019 European Championships in Denmark before making history at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. As part of the gold medal-winning Great Britain wheelchair rugby team, Kylie helped the side become the first European team ever to win a Paralympic medal in the sport, while also becoming the first woman to win a Paralympic gold in wheelchair rugby history. In recognition of her achievements and contributions to the sport, Kylie was awarded an MBE in 2022 and became an Ambassador for the Harlequins Foundation. In 2025, she continued to inspire audiences through keynote talks for organisations including Lifeways Group, Leicester Tigers Wheelchair Rugby Club and Bere Clinic School.
Kylie is hired as a speaker for her inspiring perspective on resilience, leadership and performing under pressure. Drawing on her experiences recovering from serious injury and competing at the highest level of international sport, she delivers practical lessons on teamwork, determination and mental strength. Her presentations resonate with businesses, leadership teams, schools and sporting organisations looking to inspire confidence, adaptability and high performance. Combining authenticity, humour and extraordinary personal achievement, Kylie leaves audiences motivated to overcome challenges and push beyond perceived limitations.
Kylie Grimes MBE is regularly booked to engage audiences at events, read their latest feedback below:
“Kylie gave an incredible speech to our EMEA team to mark one year of working from home. Her story was profoundly moving, inspiring and motivating. It is impossible to listen to Kylie and not gain a new perspective on the power of positive thinking. She spoke bravely and openly about the challenges she faced in her life- and how she has worked with determination to overcome them. She gave us some powerful and thought provoking insights, as well as tools and techniques to stay motivated. It was an absolute pleasure to spend an hour in her company.”
“Kylie Grimes visited William Cobbett Primary School and led a lovely assembly, which was very child centred, on what she has achieved as an athlete in terms of her sporting career and her training regime, as well as her hopes and aspirations for the future. She interacted well with the children, demonstrating some of her equipment and explaining her sport well. It was a pleasure to have her visit the school and we will warmly welcome her once more once she has competed at the next Paralympics in Japan.”
“Kylie Grimes was an amazing asset to the Farnham Falcons women’s rugby team pre-match prep. Giving up her valuable and limited time to be with us during an exceptionally busy schedule was greatly appreciated. Her talk about how sport and teamwork have had such a positive impact on her life inspired us as a team to go out with a positive mental attitude. Some sneaky tips and code words to help players process and relax on the pitch was something the team found really helpful. Kylie is an inspiration to sport. She promotes every element of teamwork and is an honorary member of the Falcon Family.”
“We were lucky enough to have Kylie come in to visit our Year 5 children during our ‘Being Different’ Week. She talked to them about sport and disability and what you can achieve if you really work hard for it. The children thoroughly enjoyed listening to Kylie and were very enthusiastic in asking her lots of questions especially about the Paralympics. Thank you Kylie.”
The High-Performance Speakers Agency is the UK’s leading bureau for teamwork, leadership, and marginal gains speakers. We hire speakers for corporate conferences and events across the world and cater to both in-person occasions and online webinars. Our roster includes sportspeople, business leaders, adventurers and more, to ensure audiences of all industries receive tailored, impactful advice on optimised performance.
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