Darren Harris

One of Britain’s most successful disabled athletes, Darren Harris is a dual Paralympian who is also England’s most decorated blind footballer. Away from the sporting arena, he’s also earned a reputation for being one of the industry’s most popular diversity and keynote speakers who can use his own experiences with a disability to inspire audiences everywhere. Also, as a bestselling author and life coach, his range of fascinating anecdotes regularly engages audiences and sees them go on to achieve success in their own lives and careers.

When he was just 15 years old, Darren was tragically diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma – a cancer of the eye. While his life was saved his sight was not, and by his mid-20s he was completely blind. His life spiralled as a result, and he regularly found himself picking fights. However, sport provided him with a safe haven and a place to channel himself in a positive way. In 1996 he made his debut for the England blind football team and it wasn’t long until he began establishing himself as one of the best players in his country’s history. In 2002 he was named captain and won medals in six consecutive European Championships. At his diversity and keynote speaking events, Darren can discuss how his football career helped him and his experiences in disabled sports.

In 2004 he made the big decision to switch from football to judo. This shift was motivated by the fact that England would not allow a Great Britain football team to be sanctioned at the Paralympics, as well as the lack of professionalism surrounding blind football at the time. In Judo he competed for Great Britain at the 2008 Paralympics in Bejing, and also won medals at the European Championships.

In 2011 he made a heroic return to football, playing for the now established Great Britain team at the Paralympics in London in 2012. He retired from football in 2019, leaving with 162 caps, 34 goals and ten World and European medals.

He faced his fair share of discrimination, including from a landlord who refused to rent him a flat due to his blindness. As one of the most inspirational diversity keynote speakers around, at his after-dinner speaking engagements, Darren is able to discuss how these moments impacted him and how he would not let his disability or these experiences define him. These hugely rousing speeches are sure to have a lasting effect on audiences, who can take these experiences and apply them to their own life and career.

If you’re looking to hire a popular diversity keynote speaker for your next corporate or personal event, Darren Harris is a perfect choice. Here at Evolve, we can facilitate this for you, arranging for Darren to appear at your event and ensuring it lives long in the memory.