- Former professional rugby league player with Super League Grand Final victories
- Mental health advocate sharing his journey with depression and performance anxiety
- Speaker on finding sustainable performance without burning out
Daniel Sarginson is a speaker who helps organisations build sustainable high performance through prioritising wellbeing and human connection. He played professional rugby league for twelve years, with a track records that includes over 200 Super League appearances, winning two Grand Finals, and earning three England caps before retiring at 29.
Despite great success on the pitch, none of these achievements brought Daniel fulfilment. Behind his wins were personal battles that limited his performance, inhibited his personal growth, and prevented him from fully enjoying his success. Suffering with anxiety, depression, and burnout, Daniel went on to write and speak publicly about his challenges with his mental health, particularly following the loss of his brother to suicide in 2018.
Today, Daniel draws on his time in elite sport to address the gap between external achievement and internal wellbeing. He works with teams and organisations to build foundations for performance that don't come at the cost of mental health. His approach examines how vulnerability and connection create stronger, more resilient teams, helping groups understand that sustainable success requires more than pushing through discomfort.
Audiences learn practical strategies for managing pressure whilst maintaining wellbeing, frameworks for building psychological safety within teams, and how honest communication strengthens performance. Participants learn to recognise burnout warning signs and create cultures where everyone can perform at their best.
Daniel offers an honest, powerful perspective on what happens when high achievement masks deeper struggles and how to build success that lasts.
Daniel's Showreel and Videos
Topics, Sessions and Talks
Daniel Sarginson: My Mental Health Journey
In this talk, Daniel Sarginson shares his journey through addiction, depression, and 25 years of social and performance anxiety. He discusses the role of human connection, early conditioning, and trauma throughout his journey while advocating for psychologically safe environments. Through relatable examples, Daniel speaks with honesty and vulnerability about overcoming challenges. Attendees will gain valuable insights on mental health, resilience, and the importance of fostering supportive relationships in their own lives.
How To Sustain High Performance (And Enjoy It!)
Daniel Sarginson shares his journey to international success, highlighting the challenges of sustaining high performance over 12 years. He delves into the importance of enjoying the journey and prioritising burnout prevention. Daniel explores the critical role of human connection in managing stress and the pressure associated with top-level performance. Attendees will learn how to create a transformative and enjoyable path to achievement, ensuring that success is both fulfilling and sustainable.
Why We Recommend Booking Daniel
Daniel's twelve-year rugby league career and public work sharing his mental health struggles give him a powerful perspective when it comes to identifying and addressing performance cultures that inadvertently create burnout. Clients consistently value how he translates elite sport psychology into practical tools for building psychologically safe teams without compromising standards. His insights prove particularly valuable for organisations recognising that sustainable performance requires protecting wellbeing in order to drive results.
We had Daniel in to Amazon Web Services (AWS) to speak with the team on the topic of 'understanding yourself and the importance of wellbeing'. After an incredibly successful Rugby League career with the likes of Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club and Gold Coast Titans, Dan shared his personal journey, the internal battles he faced with his own wellbeing and actionable advice on what we can each do to support ourselves and those around us. I highly recommend Daniel if you're looking to address these important topics. Daniel made a material impact on helping employee wellbeing become a dialogue for our team & encouraging our leaders to foster a positive work environment, boost employee engagement, and drive long-term success. Massive thanks to Daniel for his wisdom, time & insights shared.
Joe Welton, Head of Travel, Transport and hospitality
Head of Travel, Transport and hospitality, AWS
I was lucky enough to listen to Dan speak to ASOS about ‘the importance of self-understanding’. Throughout the talk, Dan was effortlessly authentic and honest. Despite his truly amazing career in professional rugby, the ability to be relatable to his audience is a credit to Dan's bravery and strength to show himself as a human being battling with what life throws at us. Dan openly shared his successes, challenges, and lowest moments and how he found the best way to tackle them. Not only was Dan’s talk influential, but I truly believe he’ll have many people reaching out to him to chat further, his warm and open persona is enough to make anyone listening feel safe in talking about their challenges or the support they want to give to loved ones. I would always recommend Dan to anyone who wants their organisation to open its eyes to the reality of mental health challenges. Dan’s talk is a genuinely great contributor to changing the way we all think about mental health and I can’t wait to follow Dan’s journey in helping many, many people.
Sophie Hattchett
Returns Programme Manager, ASOS.com
Dan delivered a powerful, emotional, and impactful speech to over 80 colleagues on his journey around mental health. His openness allowed a diverse group of colleagues to connect with him and has inspired internal story-telling, particularly among male colleagues about their challenges. It is easy to assume that professional athletes have it all as they get to do what so many of us dreamt of when we were younger, but hearing the dark reality and the impact it had was insightful, and shows that all of us have struggles. Dan's delivery was professional yet casual and informal which made it easy to connect with, and left colleagues with lots of food for thought. I would highly recommend Dan as an inspirational speaker tackling a subject which many shy away from. Dan's bravery really shines through and it has been a pleasure to work with him.
Dom Smith
Information Commissioner's Office
