John Ratcliff is an international speaker, host and entertainer who has led an incredible life. His entrepreneurial spirit has mixed business, sport, music and the entertainment world and led to enormous success with an ability to overcome adversity.

The youngest actor ever to join The National Youth Theatre he has worked on stage,screen and TV alongside some of the greatest legends of showbusiness.

A former junior international at both athletics and rugby, his life has taken countless twists and turns. He signed as a singer, musician and writer with Atlantic Records in New York and then EMI in his home city of London.

However after discovering, producing and managing the supergroup ‘a-ha’, who have now sold over 80 million records worldwide, he moved back to athletics and became the World Champion and Record Holder of the Masters Double Decathlon.He was Chairman of two major Athletic Associations and is still competing today in Masters athletics as well as playing a mean round of golf and an equally competitive game of tennis!

A charismatic and witty speaker, he carries the gift of captivating and uplifting audiences of all ages with his roller coaster of a life. He is a regular panellist on radio and has had his own show ‘Ratcliff’s Records’ on the BBC.

He thrives on giving young, up-and-coming writers and musicians his time, advice and encouragement and tells with breathless honesty of his rock and roll lifestyle in the 80’s that nearly killed him, and of his amazing recovery against all the odds. He also plays and sings live if a function offers the opportunity.

Now he produces and writes from his Somerset base while also travelling the world as an in-demand raconteur of inspiration, humanity, creativity, humour and wisdom.

John is currently developing several major international projects.

www.myspace.com/thesprintmusiclabellimited

John’s last column for a while.