Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE

Four-time Olympic Gold Medalist Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE, began rowing when he was at university. He was president of the Oxford Rowing Club and participated in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race in 1990 and 1991, leading Oxford to victory over Cambridge on both occasions.
His Olympic successes began the following year, when alongside his partner Sir Steve Redgrave, they won Gold at the Barcelona Olympics. This was the beginning of a long professional partnership with the pair going on to win seven World Championships, and gold medals at the the subsequent Olympic Games in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

In August 2000, Pinsent starred in a BBC documentary entitled 'Gold Fever'. This three-part series followed the coxless four team made up of Redgrave, James Cracknell and Tim Foster, in the years leading up to the Olympics. After the successes at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Matthew formed a Coxless Pair with James Cracknell, the duo going on to break the world record by four seconds. In 2001, Matthew was also elected to the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission.

After retiring from rowing in 2004, he was made a Knight Bachelor, having already been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire and was raised to Commander. The following year, he was awarded the coveted ‘Thomas Keller Medal’ by the International Rowing Federation.

Since his retirement, Matthew has remained a familiar face on television, working as a sports bulletin presenter and reporter for the BBC, umpiring and commentating on key events in the rowing calendar such as the Olympics, Henley Royal Regatta and Oxbridge The Boat Races. He also directed the documentary that followed swimmer Chad Le Clos, " “Unbelievable – The Chad Le Clos Story".

As a celebrated athlete, Matthew rowed on the Gloriana as part of the royal pageant for the 2012 Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II and appeared again on the Gloriana again the following month, bearing the Olympic torch as it crossed the River Thames.

Sir Matthew Pinsent is frequently hired as a motivational and after-dinner speaker for corporate events. His captivating stories and presenting style have impressed guests at a range of well-known companies such as Proctor & Gamble, IBM, British Telecom, NatWest, Camelot and Lombard, to name just a few. His popular speeches surround themes such as motivation, communication, teamwork and maintaining a positive mindset in the corporate environment.