View source for Pete Reed

{{short description|British rower}}
{{About|the British Olympic rower|the American aid worker|Pete Reed (aid worker)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant Commander]]
| name           = Pete Reed
| honorific_suffix = [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
| image          = Ruder-EM 2016 66 (Pete Reed cropped).JPG
| imagesize      = 
| caption        =
| full_name     = Peter K. Reed
| nationality    = British
| residence      = 
| birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1981|07|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place    = [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], U.S.
| death_date     =
| death_place    =
| spouse         = 
| height         = {{convert|198|cm|ftin|abbr=on|order=flip}}
| weight         = 
| country        = 
| sport          = [[Rowing (sport)|Rowing]]
| event          = 
| collegeteam    = [[Oxford University Boat Club]]
| club           = [[Leander Club]]
| coach          = [[Jürgen Gröbler]]
| headercolor    = lightsteelblue
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport | Men's [[rowing (sport)|rowing]] }}
{{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]]|[[Rowing at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's coxless four|Coxless four]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London]]|[[Rowing at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's coxless four|Coxless four]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[Rowing at the 2016 Summer Olympics|2016 Rio de Janeiro]]|[[Rowing at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's eight|Eight]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[World Rowing Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2005 World Rowing Championships|2005 Gifu]]|Coxless four}}
{{MedalGold|[[2006 World Rowing Championships|2006 Eton Dorney]]|Coxless four}}
{{MedalGold|[[2013 World Rowing Championships|2013 Chungju]]|Eight}}
{{MedalGold|[[2014 World Rowing Championships|2014 Amsterdam]]|Eight}}
{{MedalGold|[[2015 World Rowing Championships|2015 Aiguebelette]]|Eight}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2009 World Rowing Championships|2009 Poznań]]|Coxless pair}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2010 World Rowing Championships|2010 Karapiro]]|Coxless pair}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2011 World Rowing Championships|2011 Bled]]|Coxless pair}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Rowing Championships|European Championships]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2015 European Rowing Championships|2015 Poznan]]|Eight}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2014 European Rowing Championships|2014 Belgrade]]|Eight}}
}}
'''Peter K. Reed'''<ref name="ReferenceA">{{London Gazette|issue=62545 |supp=y|page=1406|date=29 January 2019}}</ref> (born 27 July 1981) is a retired <ref name= "retirement">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rowing/2018/04/10/pete-reed-announces-retirement-rowing/|title=Triple Olympic champ Pete Reed announces retirement from rowing|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=10 April 2018|last1=Quarrell|first1=Rachel}}</ref> British Olympic [[Rowing (sport)|rower]]. Reed is a three-times Olympic gold medallist – earning gold in the Men's coxless four at the [[Rowing at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008]] and [[Rowing at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012]] Olympics, and then a gold medal in the Men's eight at the [[Rowing at the 2016 Summer Olympics|2016]] Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He has also won five gold medals and three silver medals at the World Championships.

==Background and military career==
Reed was born in [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], US but his family moved to England several months later. He was brought up in [[Nailsworth]], [[Gloucestershire]] and attended [[Cirencester Deer Park School]], and later [[Cirencester College]] for his A-levels.

Reed joined the [[Royal Navy]] in 1999 and began rowing relatively late. In 2001, whilst training as an officer on board {{HMS|Exeter|D89|6}}, he used an [[ergometer (rowing)|ergometer]] for the first time – and promptly posted the fastest time in the Royal Navy's annual fleet-wide fitness competition.<ref>{{cite news|title=Navy Olympic Rower Selected for Rowing World Cup|url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2013/february/28/130228-peter-reed|publisher=[[Royal Navy]]|date=28 February 2013}}</ref> He received a medical discharge in 2022 and left with the rank of [[Lieutenant commander (Royal Navy)|lieutenant commander]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>{{cite news|title='Serving has been my honour': Olympic champion Pete Reed leaves Navy|url=https://www.forcesnews.com/services/navy/olympic-champion-pete-reed-leaves-navy|publisher=[[British Forces Broadcasting Service]]|date=20 July 2022}}</ref>

==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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/UWENews/images/bulletinJuly08.pdf|title=UWE graduates represent Great Britain in Olympic Games|work=The Bulletin July 2008|publisher=University of the West of England|access-date=14 August 2008}}</ref> 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 [[Master of Science|MSc]] course in engineering, based at [[Oriel College, Oxford|Oriel College]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/subsite/olympics/olympics/london_olympics_2012/competitors_profiles/pete_reed.html|title=Pete Reed Profile|work=London Olympics 2012 Competitors' Profiles|publisher=Oxford University|access-date=9 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609034634/http://www.ox.ac.uk/subsite/olympics/olympics/london_olympics_2012/competitors_profiles/pete_reed.html|archive-date=9 June 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> 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 [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] in the annual [[Boat Race]]. Defeat in 2004 was followed by victory in [[The Boat Race 2005|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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Oxford University crew weigh-in as the heaviest ever ahead of the Boat Race|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/rowing/5018166/Oxford-University-crew-weigh-in-as-the-heaviest-ever-ahead-of-the-Boat-Race.html|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=19 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Dark Blue crew are heaviest on record|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/mar/23/1|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=23 March 2005}}</ref>

In 2005, Reed and his Oxford strokeman, [[Andrew Triggs Hodge]], won GB senior pairs trials (together they won every year from 2005 to 2012), and following the retirement of [[Matthew Pinsent]] and [[James Cracknell]] were selected by coach [[Jürgen Gröbler]] to row alongside [[Alex Partridge]] and [[Steve Williams (rower)|Steve Williams]] MBE, in the new Great Britain Coxless Four.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishrowing.org/athlete/pete-reed/|title=Pete Reed OBE}}</ref>

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 (rower)|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&nbsp;inches tall and was reported in 2006 as having the largest recorded [[lung capacity]] (11.68 litres).<ref>English Institute of Sport, 17 November 2006, test ID 27781</ref>  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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/nov/07/rowing-olympics2012|title=Reed has admirals on board for Olympic title defence|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=7 November 2008|access-date=7 November 2008}}</ref>  At the 2012 Summer Games, Reed, along with Triggs-Hodge, James and [[Alex Gregory]], helped Great Britain retain the gold medal in the [[Rowing at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's coxless four|men's coxless four]].<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.olympic.org/olympic-results/london-2012/rowing/four-without-coxswain-4-m|title = London 2012 – Rowing – Men's Coxless Four|access-date = 9 February 2015|website = www.olympic.org|publisher = IOC}}</ref>

He competed at the [[2013 World Rowing Championships]] in [[Chungju]], where he won a gold medal as part of the eight.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/events/2013-world-championships/event-information |title=2013 World Rowing Championships: Event Information |website=WorldRowing.com |publisher=[[International Rowing Federation]] |access-date=20 August 2020}}</ref>
He then competed at the [[2014 World Rowing Championships]] in [[Bosbaan]], [[Amsterdam]], where he won a gold medal as part of the eight<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/events/2014-world-rowing-championships/event-information |title=2014 World Rowing Championships: Event Information |website=WorldRowing.com |publisher=[[International Rowing Federation]] |access-date=19 August 2020}}</ref> and the following year he was part of the British team that topped the medal table at the [[2015 World Rowing Championships]] at [[Lac d'Aiguebelette]] in France, where he won a gold medal as part of the eight with [[Matt Gotrel]], [[Constantine Louloudis]], [[Paul Bennett (rower)|Paul Bennett]], [[Moe Sbihi]], [[Alex Gregory]], [[George Nash (rower)|George Nash]], [[Will Satch]] and [[Phelan Hill]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldrowing.com/events/2015-world-rowing-championships/|title=2015 World Rowing Championships results|publisher=World Rowing}}</ref>

In April 2018, Reed announced his retirement from professional rowing.<ref name= "retirement" />

==Personal life==
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 [[2014 Scottish independence referendum|referendum on that issue]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/07/celebrities-open-letter-scotland-independence-full-text |title=Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories |work=The Guardian |date=7 August 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>

In October 2019, Reed announced via [[Instagram]] that he had suffered a spinal stroke, which has left him paralysed from the chest down.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pete Reed: Triple Olympic rowing gold medallist paralysed after spinal stroke |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rowing/50239919 |date=30 October 2019 |access-date=31 October 2019}}</ref> 

Reed and his wife have a son (born in 2023).<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=petereed | author =Pete Reed OBE |number=1736327316903547317 |title=Please join us in welcoming our son to the world; little Frederick John Reed.}}</ref>

==Honours==
Reed was appointed [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours<ref name="New Years Honour List 2009">{{London Gazette|issue=58929 |supp=y|page=21|date=31 December 2008}}</ref> and [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to rowing.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61803 |supp=y|page=N14|date=31 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-years-honours-list-2017|title=New Year's Honours list 2017 – Publications – GOV.UK|website=www.gov.uk|access-date=31 December 2016}}</ref>

==Rowing palmares==

===Olympics===
*[[Rowing at the 2016 Summer Olympics|2016]] [[Rio de Janeiro]] – Gold, eight (5 seat)
*[[Rowing at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012]] [[London]] – Gold, coxless four (2 seat)
*[[Rowing at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008]] [[Beijing]] – Gold, coxless four (3 seat)

===World Championships===
*2015 [[Aiguebelette-le-Lac|Aiguebelette]] – Gold, men's eight (3 seat)
*2014 [[Amsterdam]] – Gold, men's eight (5 seat)
*2013 [[Chungju]] – Gold, men's eight (4 seat)
*2011 [[Bled]] – Silver, coxless pair (Bow)
*2010 [[Lake Karapiro|Karapiro]] – Silver, coxless pair (Bow)
*2009 [[Poznań]] – Silver, coxless pair (Bow)
*2007 [[Munich]] – 4th, coxless Four (2 seat)
*2006 [[Dorney Lake|Eton]] – Gold, coxless four (2 seat)
*2005 [[Gifu, Gifu|Gifu]]  – Gold, coxless four (2 seat)

===World Cups===
*2014 [[Lucerne]] – Bronze, men's 8 (5 seat)
*2014 [[Lac d'Aiguebelette|Aiguebelette]] – Silver, men's 8 (5 seat)
*2013  [[Dorney Lake|Eton Dorney]] – Gold, men's 8 (7 seat)
*2013 [[Sydney]] – Gold, men's 8 (7 seat)
*2012 [[Munich]] – Silver, coxless four (2 seat)
*2012 [[Lucerne]] – Gold, coxless four (2 seat)
*2012 [[Belgrade]] – Gold, coxless four (2 seat)
*2011 [[Lucerne]] – Silver, coxless pair (bow)
*2011 [[Munich]] – Gold, coxless pair (bow)
*2010 [[Lucerne]] – Silver, coxless pair (bow)
*2010 [[Munich]] – Silver, coxless pair (bow)
*2010 [[Bled]] – Gold, eight (7 seat)
*2010 [[Bled]] – Silver, coxless pair (bow)
*2009 [[Lucerne]] – Silver, coxless pair (bow)
*2009 [[Munich]] – Silver, coxless pair (bow)
*2009 [[Banyoles]] – Gold, coxless pair (bow)
*2008 [[Poznań]] – Silver, coxless four (3 seat)
*2008 [[Lucerne]] – 8th, coxless four (3 seat)
*2008 [[Munich]] – Gold, coxless four (3 seat)
*2007 [[Lucerne]] – Silver, coxless four (2 seat)
*2007 [[Amsterdam]] – Gold, men's eight
*2007 [[Linz]] – Gold, coxless four (2 seat)
*2006 [[Lucerne]] – Gold, coxless four (3 seat)
*2006 [[Poznań]] – Gold, coxless four (3 seat)
*2006 [[Munich]] – Gold, coxless four (2 seat)
*2005 [[Lucerne]] – Gold, coxless four (2 seat)
*2005 [[Munich]] – Gold, coxless four (2 seat)
*2005 [[Dorney Lake|Eton]] – Gold, coxless four (2 seat)
*2004 [[Poznań]] – 11th, coxless pair (bow)

===World Rowing Under 23 Championships===
*2003 – 4th, coxed four

==Other==
* British Olympic Association Male Olympic Athlete 2014
* Senior Pairs Trials winner 2012
* Senior Pairs Trials winner 2011
* Senior Pairs Trials winner 2010
* Senior Pairs Trials winner 2009
* Combined Services Sportsman of the Year 2008
* President's Award from the [[Sports Journalists' Association]]
* Senior Pairs Trials winner 2008
* Senior Pairs Trials winner 2007
* Senior Pairs Trials winner 2006
* Senior Pairs Trials winner 2005
* Combined Services Sportsman of the Year 2005
* Royal Navy Sportsman of the Year 2005

==See also==
* [[2012 Olympics gold post boxes in the United Kingdom]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Pete Reed}}
* [https://www.britishrowing.org/athlete/pete-reed/ Pete Reed] at [[British Rowing]]
* {{World Rowing|21353}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|pete-reed}}
* {{Olympedia|112404}}

{{Olympic champions – Men's coxless four}}
{{Olympic champions – Men's eight}}
{{World champions – Men's coxless four}}
{{World champions – Men's eight}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Pete}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Rowers from Seattle]]
[[Category:People from Nailsworth]]
[[Category:Royal Navy officers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford]]
[[Category:English male rowers]]
[[Category:Olympic rowers for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Rowers at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Rowers at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Rowers at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of the West of England, Bristol]]
[[Category:Oxford University Boat Club rowers]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in rowing]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Members of Leander Club]]
[[Category:British male rowers]]
[[Category:World Rowing Championships medalists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:European Rowing Championships medalists]]
[[Category:21st-century English sportsmen]]