Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE

Four-time Olympic Gold Medalist Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE began rowing in college. He was the president of the Oxford Rowing Club and competed in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race in 1990 and 1991, leading Oxford to victory over Cambridge both times.
His Olympic journey started the next year when he and his partner Sir Steve Redgrave won Gold at the Barcelona Olympics. This marked the start of a long professional partnership, with the duo winning seven World Championships and gold medals in the subsequent Olympic Games in 1996, 2000, and 2004.

In August 2000, Pinsent starred in a BBC documentary titled 'Gold Fever'. This three-part series followed the coxless four team of Redgrave, James Cracknell, and Tim Foster in the years leading up to the Olympics. After their success at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Matthew formed a Coxless Pair with James Cracknell, and the duo went 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 later promoted to Commander. The next year, he was awarded the prestigious ‘Thomas Keller Medal’ by the International Rowing Federation.

Since retiring, Matthew has stayed a familiar face on TV, working as a sports bulletin presenter and reporter for the BBC, umpiring, and commentating on key rowing events like the Olympics, Henley Royal Regatta, and Oxbridge The Boat Races. He also directed a 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 the following month, carrying the Olympic torch as it crossed the River Thames.

Sir Matthew Pinsent is often hired as a motivational and after-dinner speaker for corporate events. His captivating stories and presentation style have impressed guests at many well-known companies such as Procter & Gamble, IBM, British Telecom, NatWest, Camelot, and Lombard, to name just a few. His popular speeches focus on themes like motivation, communication, teamwork, and maintaining a positive mindset in the corporate world.