I recently had the pleasure of joining Sanderstead Cricket Club for their end-of-season celebration dinner and what a brilliant evening it was.
Having spent much of my life around cricket, from playing professionally and representing Ireland to experiencing the highs and lows of international sport, it was a real pleasure to be back in a room full of people who share the same passion for the game. But this wasn’t just an evening about cricket. I was invited to share my story, talk about resilience and reflect on some of the lessons life has taught me since being diagnosed with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia and becoming a wheelchair user. And, of course, there was plenty of humour along the way. Because while my journey has certainly had its difficult moments, I firmly believe that resilience doesn’t mean taking life too seriously. Sometimes you have to be able to laugh at yourself, particularly when a wheelchair, a cricket club and a few stories from your sporting career are involved!What I loved most about the evening was the atmosphere. End-of-season dinners are about much more than celebrating results. They are about people, friendships, shared experiences and the sense of belonging that makes sport so special. That’s one of the reasons I love speaking at sporting events.I can talk about resilience, setbacks, perspective and overcoming adversity, but I can also talk about the things that everyone in that room understands: team spirit, pressure, winning, losing, disappointment, determination and, inevitably, a few stories that probably shouldn’t make it into the match report! My message was simple:
We don’t always get to choose what happens to us. But we do get to choose how we respond. That applies on the cricket field, in the workplace and in life. A huge thank you to everyone at Sanderstead Cricket Club for inviting me and for making me feel so welcome. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and loved being able to share my story with a cricketing audience.And, if I’m honest, I really enjoy after-dinner speaking. I get to combine my sporting career, my very different second innings, plenty of stories and a healthy dose of humour, while hopefully leaving people with something meaningful to take away.
If you’re looking for an after-dinner speaker who can entertain your guests, make them laugh and leave them with a message that stays with them long after the evening is over, I’d love to hear from you.
