Pete Reed

Background and military career

Reed was born in Seattle, Washington, US but his family moved to Britain several months later. He was brought up in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire and attended Cirencester Deer Park School.

Reed is a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and began rowing relatively late. In 2001, whilst training as an officer on board HMS Exeter, he used an ergometer for the first time — and promptly posted the fastest time in the Royal Navy’s annual fleet-wide fitness competition.

Rowing career

Reed took up rowing in his second year of university in 2002, whilst studying mechanical engineering at the University of the West of England, to become a naval engineer. The following year, in 2003, coached by Fred Smallbone, he became a successful Boat Club President.

In 2004, Reed won a place at the University of Oxford to attend a two-year MSc course in engineering, based at Oriel College. During this time, he trained at the Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) under coach Sean Bowden, where he earned the nickname "The Commander". He was selected in both years for the Blue Boat to race against Cambridge in the annual Boat Race. Defeat in 2004 was followed by victory in 2005. The race gained much publicity as Oxford narrowly won by 2 lengths in a time of 16 minutes 42 seconds with its "heaviest-ever Boat Race crew", a record which was later broken in 2009.

In 2005, Reed and his Oxford strokeman, Andrew Triggs Hodge, won GB senior pairs trials (together they have won every year since), and following the retirement of Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell were selected by coach Jürgen Gröbler to row alongside Alex Partridge and Steve Williams MBE, in the new Great Britain Coxless Four.

Unbeaten for 27 consecutive races until Lucerne 2007, the British Four won gold at all three World Cups in 2005 and 2006, and finished both seasons by becoming World Champions.

Reed continued his training to represent Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. After a difficult early season, in which his teammates Tom James, whom he had rowed against in the 2005 Boat Race, and Andrew Triggs Hodge picked up injuries, the first-choice four raced together for the first time in Poznań in the final World Cup event of the season, finishing second. The GB four then dominated their heats and semi finals at the Beijing Olympics. In the final, however, the Australian four lead for most of the way. Only a dramatic push by the British boat in the closing stages made the difference; they won the nail biting final to become gold medallists in a time of 6 minutes 6.57 seconds, beating the Australian four by 1.28 seconds.

He stands 6 feet 6 inches tall and was reported in 2006 as having the largest recorded lung capacity (11.68 litres). Originally due to return to full-time naval duties after returning from Beijing he confirmed on 6 November 2008 that he had been given permission to continue training for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. At the 2012 Summer Games, Reed, along with Triggs-Hodge, James and Alex Gregory, helped Great Britain retain the gold medal in the men's coxless four.

In August 2014, Reed was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.

Honours

Reed was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to rowing.

Olympics

World Championships

World Cups

World Rowing Under 23 Championships

Other