together.” It was this togetherness, sense of team spirit and resilience which defined the 4x400m relay team during Phil’s time in the sport. And none more so than at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Again making it to the final, performance analysis statistics put the Americans well ahead of the field, but the remaining teams were so tightly packed that Britain were looking at anything from a second to last-place finish. Grit and determination saw Todd Bennett, Garry Cook and Kriss Akabusi run their legs well, leaving Phil with a fighting chance of bringing Team GB home victorious. “Todd, Garry and Kriss came into my line of sight as I was coming down the home straight and that team spirit kicked in; focusing on them enabled me to cross the line and get the silver medal,” Phil remembers. As well as his Olympic medal, Phil and some of his Team GB team mates had streets named in their honour. Phil Brown Place can be found in Lambeth, London. “It’s a privilege and a legacy for myself, my family, people I went to school with and my home city,” says Phil. Phil’s time in track and field earned him a reputation as a relay powerhouse, winning a medal at every major games for a decade and running alongside some of the most well-known names in British athletics including Roger Black and Derek Redmond. “At the end of my time in athletics, the challenge was what to do next,” says Phil. He was already working for Birmingham City Council as a sports development officer when a position came up within the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme for a development worker. PHIL WITH FORMER 4X400M RELAY TEAM MATES ROGER BLACK AND KRISS AKABUSI “It sounded ideal, working with young people,” says Phil. “For me, the support I got from my teachers at school wasn’t just about sport, it was about building a rounded individual, and the DofE seemed to be playing the same sort of tune.” Phil was soon promoted to regional director for the East Midlands region serving 17,000 young people in 1996 and by 2010, he became director for central England enriching the lives of 48,000 participants with 1,000 young people attending Gold Award ceremonies at St James’ Palace each year. “Many of the young people were at a time in their lives where they didn’t really know what they wanted to do, and if only there was something - which is the Duke of Edinburgh scheme - which could give them a bit of structure and enable them to excel, and give them a start by which they could guide their careers,” says Phil. “The young people were the inspiration for getting up each day and working. And it wasn’t just the most able in the local grammar schools, it was the youngsters in the Young Offenders institutions, the ones that most needed that guidance and a helping hand.” Motivational speaking was an important part of Phil’s DofE role, not only throughout schools but at St James’ Palace in front of youngsters receiving their Gold Awards, where he would work alongside celebrity supporters including Joanna Lumley, Alexander Armstrong, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Sharon Osbourne. And today he is a sought-after inspirational speaker, regaling audiences with his motivational tales of life on and off the track at everything from small community to high profile corporate events. Phil passionately believes in the power of sport to bring people together and change lives for the better. Through Champion’s Realm, he hopes to inspire, educate and motivate the next generation - making a difference to children’s lives at a time when they really need it. For more information on Champion’s Realm and Phil Brown’s motivational speaking, email phil.brown@ championsrealmltd.co.uk, call 07517 099 241 or find Phil on Twitter @philbrown4x400 and Instagram @philbolympian 10
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