Mark Woods

I am a sports journalist and broadcaster, writing for a variety of national newspapers for the past 20 years and commentating and broadcasting for the likes of the BBC, Sky Sports and Talksport.

My professional work has taken me all over the world, covering Olympic Games, various world championships in different sports as well as Premier League and international football. Currently, I spend most of my time reporting on athletics and basketball in addition to sitting on the board on a sports trust and chairing the British Athletics Writers Association along side my role on the international sports journalists body, AIPS.

My interest in Speakers for Schools stems from my work in professional development as well as an aspiration to give young people an insight into the skills involved in what I do and how they might be transferable in their current and future worlds. I have worked extensively with business people to illustrate how what we do in the media can be applied in other spheres and how it can help them communicate better and configure their work more effectively, something not solely beneficial in adulthood.

As someone who struggled at times in school, I had to acquire the skill of being self-confident and communicative and it came through developing myself in my current job. Additionally, I speak four languages and it has been hugely beneficial, not just in being able to converse with more people worldwide but also in enhancing my ability in English.

From the experience I have gained, and the lessons – good and bad – acquired en route, I hope I would be able to pass on some positive knowledge in an informal but interesting manner.