Channel Leadership Forum keynoter Sarah Stevenson MBE urges attendees to keep perspective

Taekwondo champion had important life lesson for solution providers attendees

Keep your perspective, delegates at CRN's Channel Leadership Forum were urged last night by former Olympic taekwondo medallist Sarah Stevenson MBE.

Stevenson was the keynote speaker on the first evening of the event, which makes its return following a three-year, Covid-induced absence.

Held at Ashdown Park in East Sussex, the two-day conference drew in top executives from top UK solutions provides including Softcat, WWT, SHI and XMA.

View photos from the event here

Four-time European Champion Stevenson clinched the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to taekwondo.

She talked of her decision to fight one last time in the London 2012 Olympics despite injury and tragically losing both her parents in quick succession.

She urged the tech leaders present to make time for what's important in their lives.

"A lot of my talk is about resilience and fighting and trying your best to overcome challenges and keep going, but I would say for me the most important thing is having that perspective," she said.

"I know that you all work ridiculously crazy hours, and you might put your job first more than what you want to or more than what you should. Don't. You need to stop that…. I didn't expect that to happen to me and my family. Make sure you make time for what's important and that you have your perspective now."