James Thompson is a South African Olympic Gold Medallist and World Champion rower turned entrepreneur and keynote speaker. Renowned for helping entrepreneurs build life changing businesses, James leverages his high-performance sports experience to deliver inspirational and insightful messages to corporate audiences. His talks are packed with actionable insights and practical advice, empowering teams to achieve excellence.

James engages with audiences on transformative topics such as lessons from the path to gold, building high-performance teams, culture and trust, and embracing micro-failure. From his early competitive rowing days at St. Andrew's College in Grahamstown to smashing a World Record in rowing in 2014, James continues to inspire and influence athletes, business leaders, and business owners through his coaching, speaking engagements, and entrepreneurial ventures.

His international debut in 2003 and subsequent stellar rowing career, including Olympic gold in 2012 and a World Championship title in 2014, established him as one of the top rowers globally. James brings his unique Olympic experiences and life lessons into the business world, delivering over 100 compelling keynotes across Africa and working with corporates and entrepreneurs to unlock business potential and growth.

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