An Olympic champion has urged a gathering of around 180 business leaders in Suffolk to reach "beyond their comfort zone".

Sally Gunnell was at Milsoms Kesgrave Hall in Ipswich at a sell-out celebration of the tenth anniversary of East of England HR company MAD-HR, which was founded by Carole Burman.

The event - which included a keynote speech entitled Unleash Your Potential from the gold medal-winning  track-and-field athlete -  raised £6,500 for the charity Inspire Suffolk.

Carole Burman, front row second from left and Sally Gunnell, standing centre, at the celebration (Image: Big Fish Photography) Its chief executive Terry Baxter said the money raised would be making such a valuable contribution to the charity in enabling young people to find confidence, hope and opportunity.

Carole Burman, who leads MAD-HR with fellow director Charlotte Bate, said: “It was always my intention that we would seek to celebrate our 10th anniversary with the Suffolk community, not least to show our gratitude for the support and loyalty we have received in that significant decade of growth.

“Adding a fundraising element felt really important to my team, as we are all keen supporters of various causes throughout the county.

"We are so incredibly proud that with Terry Baxter in attendance, we were able to confirm that we had raised an incredible sum of £6,500 as a result of our event.”

The Olympic champion was a "superb choice" for the event with her message of courage and self-belief, she said.

“She has a phenomenal record of success, but she is able to deliver a really compelling story which speaks to all those of us who have ever wondered how we might best tap into our potential and achieve to the best of our ability.

“We are thrilled that we were able to be responsible for sharing her story with so many people from the Suffolk business community.”

Sally - who now runs her own business - will be participating in work for Team GB during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

“I am very pleased to have been able to speak to so many of Suffolk’s business leaders, entrepreneurs and aspirational individuals at the MAD-HR event," she said.

“It was a really enjoyable occasion and I hope that I was able to inspire a few people to reach beyond their comfort zone and find out what their true potential might be.”

Andy Crump, deputy CEO, Inspire Suffolk, Sally Gunnell, Charlotte Bate and  Carole Burman (Image: Big Fish Photography)