Leon Taylor

During a diving career spanning more than 20 years Leon Taylor was regarded as one of the world's top platform divers and enjoyed sustained success on the world stage, winning medals at all major championships. He participated in 3 Olympic Games and was a member of the British Team for 16 years.

Leon pushed the boundaries not only personally, recovering from numerous surgeries, but also those of the sport itself, by inventing “the world's most difficult dive” a backward 2.5 summersaults with 2.5 twists in the piked position. In 2004 he finally achieved his lifelong ambition when, with diving partner Peter Waterfield, he won the first British diving Olympic medal in 44 years by securing a Silver medal.

Leon eventually called an end to his diving career in 2008 several months before the Olympics, after sustaining more injuries. However he was far from finished in sport. As part of the BBC team he travelled to Beijing, commentating on the diving events and giving general commentary on other areas of the Olympic coverage. He also continued his Athlete Mentor role, which had started following Athens, for the upcoming British athletes including Tom Daley.

Background
Leon was a hyperactive child and his parents were advised by doctors to channel his energy and enthusiasm into sport. As a result, he was introduced to swimming and gymnastics from the age of two and started diving as "just another sport" when he was eight. Three years later, Leon was under 12 national champion. Throughout a 16-year career representing GB Leon won medals at all major diving championships. He recovered from two separate shoulder surgeries to win a silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and later fulfilled a life-time ambition with his 2004 Olympic Silver medal in Athens.

Leon Taylor continues to be part of the BBC team for diving events, but it’s in the mentoring role and corporate speaking at events where Leon has excelled. He has invested great time and effort in both roles seeking guidance from many individuals, with the aim to become as successful in these new roles as in his diving career. The fruits of these labours can be read in his first book “MENTOR- The most important role you were never trained for” and heard when attending a speaking engagement, where he is renowned for being uplifting, motivating and an entertaining speaker.

Motivational & Keynote Speaker
An experienced speaker to a variety of audiences from business leaders to school children, Leon Taylor’s inspiring and entertaining message has been enjoyed by thousands of people.

Leon has an infectious passion and enthusiasm for the lessons he learnt during his sporting career. As a result he has been asked to speak at a wide range of events. Achieving success at the highest level in such a physically and mentally demanding sport has provided Leon with enough challenges, interesting insights and stories to truly bring his inspirational message to life.

Dedicated to making sure that the content of his presentations is as relevant to his audience as possible, Leon Taylor works hard with clients to tailor his speeches to suit the situation.

Clients often ask about purchasing books for giveaways and delegate packs. Below you’ll find a selection of products by Leon Taylor. Click the images to view on Amazon's website. For bulk orders, please speak with your Booking Agent.