In the final episode of All Things Business – The Podcast for 2024, Ben sits down with renowned Olympian and Northampton’s own Derek Redmond. While he was born in Bletchley, Derek has spent most of his life in Northampton and went to Stoke Bruerne Primary School and onto Roade Secondary School.
Determination and Perseverance
While his younger childhood was comfortable, Derek shares heartbreaking stories of racism he experienced when he entered secondary school.
In those difficult times, sport helped to give him some credibility and an opportunity to show up those that gave him a hard time. He also credits his PE teacher, Mr. Henderson, with fostering his love of sport.
He particularly excelled in athletics, initially competing in the 100m and 200m. When he stood in for someone on a 400m and broke the county record, he shocked himself and everyone else in attendance.
Becoming World Champion
Derek knew he’d truly arrived at the highest level in 1985 at his first Golden League event. This was the first time he would be competing against the best of the best. Unfortunately, he fell ill prior to his race and intended to complete half the distance and drop out to ensure he still got paid; he wasn’t expected to compete well considering the other competition.
He ended up winning the race and breaking a British record, going from being ranked 7th in the UK to 5th in the world. He would go onto to become a world champion in the 4x400m relay, earning a gold medal in 1991.
1992 Barcelona Olympics
The most famous incident of Derek’s career came at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. He was likely to medal, but in the semi-final his hamstring tore. After initially falling, he began to hobble around the track before joined by his father Jim, who helped him complete a full lap and finish the race.
While the outside assistance meant Derek was still disqualified, the moment was broadcast around the world as the crowd gave him a standing ovation, becoming one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.
A New Challenge
Despite the impact of the moment, Derek would never run professionally again. He recalls feeling very bitter towards the sport for the two years afterwards, feeling as if he was owed something. After a series of operations, a surgeon would tell him that he would never represent his country again. Derek took that as a challenge.
He would go on to play professional basketball with Birmingham Bullets and eventually earn an England cap in the sport.
Derek also played professional Rugby 7s, has a kickboxing championship to his name, and has recently taken up clay pigeon shooting alongside his various business and motivational speaking activities.
Watch and listen to the episode:
