David Weir was born with a severed spinal cord, meaning he was paralysed from the waist down. Not letting that stop him, he entered his first race aged eight, competing in the London mini marathon in his standard day wheelchair, as well as competing in the London Youth Games.

He made his Paralympic debut aged 17 in Atlanta, and whilst he pulled off an impressive fourth place in the 4x100m relay, he was disheartened by the low turnout of people watching, and so took a back seat from the sport for a while.

But after picking up the sport again, he competed at an elite level in the 800, 1500, and 5000-metre events and Olympic marathons. He has also been a popular figure at the London Marathon, winning it an unbelievable eight times!

He has broken the course record of the Great North Run, holds British records in all road track distances, half marathons and full marathons, has won the Great Manchester Run five times, and has competed in the Oensingen marathon in Switzerland, the New York marathon, and the Lisbon Half Marathon.

David competed in the 2024 Paris games where he finished 5th in the men’s marathon, 6th in the men’s 1,500m, and 8th in the men’s 5,000m.

David Weir launches Weir Archer Academy

In 2013, he created the Weir Archer Academy, which aims to increase participation in disability sports and mentor the next generation of Paralympians.

David launched the centre with his former coach Jenny Archer CBE. They now want to pass on their knowledge, experience, and enjoyment of the benefits of sport to the next generation of disabled people. Their ambition is to work with other top class disability coaches and support staff to deliver their unique and innovative method, which harnesses the best on offer to as many disabled athletes as possible, from social members to elite athletes.

David has seen the focus on Paralympians grow and grow, and he now believes that viewers don’t focus on the athlete’s disability any more:

“People just want to see athletes performing at their very best. We’re superhumans and phenomenal athletes”.

David Weir CBE | Awards and Accolades

In 2005 David was named the BBC London Disabled Athlete of the Year, which he again received in 2008.

David has twice received a British Wheelchair Sports Award and he received the Individual Male Achievement Award in 2005 and the following year shared this award with tennis player Peter Norfolk.

The Sports Journalists’ Association named him as Disabled Sports Personality of the Year in 2006, with the British Athletic Writers Association also awarding him that year with the Best Performance Award for his performances in Assen at the IPC World Championships.

In 2010 he was inducted into the London Youth Games Hall of Fame and became one of the patrons for the 2012 event alongside weightlifter Zoe Smith.

David Weir CBE | Speaking Topics

Now an in-demand keynote speaker, David inspires audiences with his tales of elite sports, disability, and how to succeed in a world full of obstacles.

David adapts his talks to meet the needs of the organisation and the audiences he is speaking to, with popular themes including:

– Disability
– Sport
– Paralympics
– Overcoming Adversity
– Peak Performance
– Success
– Motivation and Drive
– Personal Development
– Teamwork
– Managing Uncertainty
– Resilience
– Self Belief

A speaker with a reputation that precedes him, David Weir is an exceptionally gifted athlete who specialises in talking about his life and the obstacles he has had to overcome to become the best in his field.

Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great British Speakers now to book Paralympian David Weir for your corporate event.

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