Jack Spivey is a British Paralympic table tennis star born in May 1995. His arrival on the planet did not come without difficulty and his struggles are well-documented. For instance, he was already with cerebral palsy while in his mother's womb. And he wasn't able to hear or see until the age of nine months. During Jack's childhood, his mum would do away with milk and bread to ensure the boy attended table tennis classes. He also attempted to commit suicide at a dark moment in his life. Thankfully, he lived to tell a story.
Why you should book Jack Hunter-Spivey for your next event
- Jack is a Paralympic gold medalist, on top of other medals. That is an enormous feat to achieve. He shares his success stories with the audience, provoking them to try what they perceive as impossible.
- His story resonates with many people. From physical disability to poverty and everything in between, Jack has seen it all. There is no better way to inspire people than to assure them that they can succeed in life no matter the circumstances.
- Jack is an influential figure to people who struggle with mental problems.
When London won the hotly contested bid to host the 2012 Olympics, Jack saw that as an opportunity to test his table tennis talent on the world’s biggest stage. At that time, he was an unknown 10-year-old boy (in 2005) trying to cut his teeth at an obscure tennis youth club somewhere in Widnes. Did he make the cut to fly his country’s flag at the tournament? Unfortunately no. However, that did not dent his dream, as he was only 17 then. Four years later, he was selected to participate in the Rio Paralympics, although his name did not feature on the medal stands.
When 2017 came, Jack had yet another excellent opportunity to win an international medal during the US Open. He did not disappoint as he went on to win the final, beating Tommy Urhaug, the winner of the 2012 Paralympics. Before the final, Jack had toppled yet another superstar (World Champion), Valentin Baus, in the semi-final.
Jack’s first Paralympic medal came in 2020 in Tokyo, Japan, where he won the Men’s Singles Class 5 bronze. A follow-up on this was a gold medal he won at the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham in 2022.
See keynotes with Jack Hunter-Spivey