Speaker Spotlight
Every Other Olympic Hurdler Took 15 Strides. She Built a Career on Taking 16.
Sarah Wells — Olympian 400m Hurdler · Pan American Games Silver Medalist · Creator of the 16 Stride Factor
While most 400m hurdlers at the Olympics take 15 strides between hurdles, Sarah Wells broke the mold by crafting a strategy that played to her strengths, taking 16 strides instead. That decision became the basis of a keynote about innovative thinking.
She does not just talk about overcoming adversity — she hurdled it on the world’s biggest stage. She also raced across deserts, mountains, and international airports on The Amazing Race, proving that grit, adaptability, and a little bit of laughter go a long way.
With more than a decade of competition at the highest level and a master’s degree in leadership and innovation from the Smith School of Business, Sarah delivers research-backed insights with what her clients describe as charge-your-phone-battery energy.
Excellence Is Not Exclusive. It Is Contagious.
Sarah’s philosophy centers on the idea that excellence is not about perfection — it is about breaking free from limiting beliefs and constantly striving to outperform who you were yesterday. When you dare to break the blueprint, chase crazy ideas, and focus on doing the small things exceptionally well, excellence becomes contagious.
Her keynotes include The Pursuit of Excellence, on cultivating unstoppable excellence in yourself and your organization; Overcoming Hurdles, on embracing change and turning obstacles into opportunities; The 16 Stride Factor, on supercharging an organization with innovative thinking; and Charting the Course to an Amazing Race, on equipping teams with the courage to conquer every mile.
Why Event Teams Re-Book Her
Sarah has been trusted by Google, Salesforce, Coca-Cola, P&G, PepsiCo, Terumo Medical, US Bank, RBC, Baxter, Ncontracts, and the Nashville Chamber. She also offers bonus experiences that extend the keynote across a whole event — Run with an Olympian, Hold the Medal, a VIP meet and greet, custom temporary tattoos, and excellence nominations.
Planners consistently point to preparation as the differentiator: she does the homework, speaks the audience’s language, and matches the tone the room needs.
Book Sarah Wells
Available for keynotes on leadership, breakthrough mindset, resilience, change management, big ambition, and high performance.