Derek Redmond was on The Today Programme with Evan Davis. He was invited to join the discussion about Max Davidson’s new book about iconic sporting moments, Fields of Courage, in which Derek features. Derek spoke about his experiences in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, in which he suffered a terrible injury mid-race, but got up and carried on nevertheless, supported physically and emotionally by his father Jim. As Derek and his father crossed this finish line to a standing ovation, they had no idea they had just featured in one of the most iconic and enduring displays of Olympic spirit in memory.

As well as being the subject of numerous documentaries, Derek’s plight has ‘gone viral’ online. One video, set to the song ‘You Raise Me Up’, is interspersed with text narrating Derek’s story and has attracted almost 1,000 000 viewers, many of whom comment on how inspired and moved they are. Numerous other versions of the video in multiple languages have also been uploaded, many of which have half a million views or more.
Derek’s story, whether recounted at one of his many motivational speaking engagements, viewed online or simply passed on by word of mouth, is still inspiring millions all over the globe almost twenty years on!