Will Satch | Early Years and ADHD

Will’s mother took him to her rowing club from birth. Whilst she was skiffing, he would be lying in the bottom of the boat in a moses basket. Fast forward to his teens, it was rugby that he played and loved. This earned him a scholarship to a local school that was situated on the river.

He admits he was far from a model student and his impulsiveness and short attention span frequently landed him in trouble. He was forever misbehaving and mucking about in class. After lessons he would “tear someone’s head off” on the rugby pitch get into fights off the pitch too. His hot-headed outbursts stemmed from a pain pushed deep down inside and meant fights were frequent. One of which caused a delayed concussion and his prolonged stay in hospital.

Will had a turbulent home life, with his father in prison and his as yet undiagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). His home-life became suddenly devastated and he went 11 years without seeing his dad.

Will Satch Rowing Career

Being at a school by the river resulted in him getting into rowing and it wasn’t long before he got the bug. He made the transition from rugby to rowing in his late teens after dabbling with both at the younger age of 11. After joining Leander Club in his last year at school it became more serious and he was on an upward trajectory to the Great Britain rowing team.

His professional rowing journey was not without its difficulties. When he was 11, he found himself in Reading Hospital after a fight had left him with a delayed concussion. This would not be his only medical issue. He would go on to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), have surgery on his shoulder, and be diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation – a condition that would see him require heart surgery.

Will Satch Achievements

Whilst known for his achievements in the GB Senior team, Will had already won several awards at the Youth and Under-23 Championships. These included a gold and a silver in the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival and a bronze at the 2010 and 2011 World U23 Championships.

His first season in the senior team in 2012 saw Will – and his rowing partner George Mash – win a silver in the World Cup series in Belgrade. The pair would go on to win a bronze medal at the London Olympics that same year.

He would go on to row in the men’s eight at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, winning that coveted gold medal. This would turn out to be his final appearance at an Olympics Game – but not the end of his rowing career.

Since the Rio Olympic games, he has won two bronze medals at the World Championships, and two gold, three silver, and one bronze medals at the World Rowing Cup.

As well as competing for his country, Will Satch has rowed for the Leander Club in Henley-on-Thames and was appointed vice-captain in 2018.

In 2017, Will was awarded an MBE for his services to rowing.

In 2022, Will became the Ambassador for Rowcave, a “bespoke, immersive, and performance-enhancing rowing studio which simulates real-world conditions to extract the very best from athletes”.

Will Satch | Speaker Topics

Inspirational, experienced, motivational and entertaining, Will Satch is the perfect speaker for your event. He adapts his talks to meet the needs of the audience but the following are some key themes that he covers.

– Fitness

– Sport

– Rowing

– Water Sport

– Motivation

– Overcoming Obstacles

– Olympic Games

Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great British Speakers now to book GB Olympic rower Will Satch MBE for your corporate event.

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