FORMER Olympic hurdler Kriss Akabusi is aiming to give South Lakeland firms a leg up in the world of business next month.

The charismatic athlete, who struck gold in the World Championships in Tokyo in 1991, is coming to Kendal to present an interactive conference on November 19.

He will be presenting the Akabusi Business Challenge, an internet-based business learning experience developed in conjunction the with Windermere training firm Corporate Adrenalin, at the Kendal Leisure Centre.

A similar event is also being held at the Swallow Hilltop Hotel, Carlisle, on November 18.

Kriss, now a popular motivational speaker, is hosting the event along with Business Link for Cumbria.

He said: “I am looking forward to meeting some very interesting business people and entrepreneurs.

“I will talk about focus, innovation and teamwork and how it relates to businesses – I should know as I run my own company.”

During a visit to the Windermere business last spring, he told Business Gazette he was a firm believer that there were a lot of parallels between succeeding in sports and business, such as being focused, having a unique selling point and learning from your mistakes.

The training package developed by Corporate Adrenalin and the three-times Olympic medallist involves teams of people competing against one another in a series of simple games.

Corporate Adrenalin managing director Chris Hillman told Business Gazette: “It’s based around helping small businesses to develop and become more competitive, and making them become Olympic business performers.”

Business Link said it believed next month’s event would give clients an innovative approach to developing their businesses. “Each participant will leave the events with five Olympic business skills which they can implement immediately in their own business,” said a Business Link spokesman.

- To book a place, contact Ryan Waugh on 0870-757-1177 or email: rwaugh@businesslink cumbria.co.uk