Pete Reed British rower Date of Birth: 27.07.1981 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Pete Reed
2. Early Life and Education
3. Rowing Career
4. Olympic Success
5. Later Career and Personal Life

Biography of Pete Reed

Pete Reed is a British rower who has achieved tremendous success in his career. He has won two gold and three silver medals at the World Championships and has also secured gold medals in the men's coxless four at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2012 Olympics in London.

Early Life and Education

Pete Reed was born on July 27, 1981, in Seattle. However, a few months after his birth, his family moved to England. He grew up in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, and attended Cirencester Deer Park School. Reed is a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy.

Rowing Career

In 2001, during his officer training on board the English warship 'Exeter', Reed discovered his strength through an ergometer test and was immediately sent to the Royal Navy's annual fitness competition. In 2002, while studying engineering at the University of the West of England, he began rowing. He had aspirations of becoming a marine engineer. In 2003, Reed started working with coach Fred Smallbone, and soon became the president of the boat club.

In 2004, Reed earned a place at the University of Oxford to pursue a two-year master's program in engineering. During this time, he trained at the university's boat club, OUBC, under the guidance of coach Sean Bowden. It was at this club that Reed earned the nickname 'Commander'. He was chosen two years in a row to compete in the prestigious 'Blue Boat' race on the Thames between Oxford and Cambridge students. After a defeat in 2004, Reed secured a victory in 2005, which was hailed as the 'toughest race in the history of the competition'.

Following the retirements of Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell, Reed and his coxless four teammates Andrew Triggs Hodge, Alex Partridge, and Steve Williams were coached by Jürgen Gröbler. The new team remained unbeaten for 27 consecutive races, winning gold at all three World Championships in 2005 and 2006.

Olympic Success

Reed continued his training to represent Great Britain at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Despite facing challenges with injuries to his teammates Tom James and Andrew Triggs Hodge, the British rowers finished second in the final race of the World Cup in Poznan. At the Olympics, the British team performed exceptionally well until the semifinals. In the final race, however, the Australian crew took the lead for most of the distance. Only a powerful surge from the British boat in the final stretch allowed Reed and his team to clinch the gold medal in Beijing, beating the Australians by just 1.28 seconds.

Later Career and Personal Life

Pete Reed stands at over 1.98 meters tall, and as of 2006, his lung capacity measured 11.68 liters. Initially, it was planned that he would return to his duties in the Royal Navy after Beijing. However, on November 6, 2008, Reed confirmed that he had received permission to continue his training and compete at the 2012 Olympics in London.

In 2009, Reed was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). He has a passion for photography and plays the piano. Reed currently resides in West London with his girlfriend and their dog.