Sir Matthew Pinsent – Team Nestlé Mentor
Four times Olympic gold medallist Sir Matthew Pinsent is one of Great Britain’s most successful and highest profile athletes of all time. Having already won two Olympic Gold medals in a Coxless Pair with Sir Steve Redgrave the duo joined in a Coxless Four with James Cracknell and Tim Foster, earning Pinsent his third Olympic Gold Medal at the Games in Sydney. This race was voted ‘Britain’s Greatest Sporting Moment’ and the crew secured themselves a very special place in the heart of the nation.
Matthew and James Cracknell MBE went on to form a Coxless Pair partnership and in 2001 they completed a unique feat in the history of rowing, by winning the Coxless Pair at the World Championships in Lucerne, a mere two hours after winning the Coxed Pairs.
At the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, Matthew entered Olympic history by becoming one of only five athletes to win four consecutive Gold medals. Later that year he announced his retirement from international rowing.
Tom Daley
Tom began diving age 7 at his local diving club in Plymouth. With incredible raw talent and a strong competitive instinct, Tom has been setting records ever since. He won his first competition in June 2004 at the Nationals, where he became the youngest ever under 18 champion. Since then Tom, incredibly, has never been beaten in his age group at any National Championship event.
By the age of 13 he claimed the European Men's 10m Platform Individual title in Eindhoven, becoming Britain's youngest ever diving Gold medalist in the process. In 2009 at the World Championships in Rome he won Gold ahead of the Olympic Champion and both the Senior and Junior World Champions. Tom is now the youngest ever British World Champion in any sport.
In 2010 Tom’s focus was on learning new dives, passing his GCSE’s and becoming Commonwealth Champion. After learning 4 new dives in the off season Tom then achieved straight A’s and A*’s in his exams. At the Commonwealth Games in Delhi he not only won Gold in the synchronised event but also claimed Gold again ahead of the current Olympic Champion to be crowned the new Commonwealth Champion.
In front of a sell out crowd, Tom and his Synchro partner Pete Waterfield built on their Bronze medal from the 2nd leg of the 2011 FINA World Series, to win Gold at Sheffield in the penultimate stage of the competition. Mexico witnessed Tom’s first individual medal, in the final stage of the World Series as he took Silver in the 10m Platform. As well as scoring a personal best in the final, with a score of 562.80, Tom also broke the British record.
Peter Reed MBE
Pete only started rowing at University when he was spotted using a rowing machine in the gym whilst studying for an engineering degree. By the time he gained his degree he had trialed for the National squad and represented Great Britain at the under 23 World Championships.
In 2005 Pete stormed into contention for Great Britain’s top men’s boat by recording the fastest British time ever to win the GB National Trials…only 3 years after taking up the sport! Following trials Pete was selected into the men’s lead boat, a Coxless Four with Alex Partridge, Andrew Triggs–Hodge and Steve Williams. They were unbeaten in 2005, winning the World Cup and then capped a sensational season by winning World Championship Gold two years in a row.
Pete achieved his ultimate goal of winning an Olympic Gold medal when the coxless four won in the Bejing Olympics in 2008 and Pete has now taken on a new challenge in the Men’s Pair, along with rowing partner Andy Triggs–Hodge.
Pete is a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and a great ambassador for the service.
Shelly Woods
Shelly suffered a spinal cord Injury from a 20ft fall from a tree aged 11. She was always an active youngster and after her accident she decided to sample a few sports such as wheelchair basketball and swimming but she enjoyed wheelchair athletics the most.
In June 2010 Shelly got her first World Record smashing the 500m time by over 3 seconds and she is also the current British record holder in the 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m and marathon.
At the 2011 IPC World Championships in Christchurch Shelly took Bronze in the 5000m. Back in the UK, Shelly took Silver in the London Marathon finishing with a time of 1:46:31, smashing the course record by over a minute.
Shelly is the current 1500m World Record holder and is also the current British record holder in the 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m and marathon.
Fran Halsall
European Champion, Commonwealth Champion and World silver medalist, Fran Halsall is fast becoming one of the World’s biggest names in Sprint swimming. At the 2010 European Championships she became Britain's most successful swimmer at a single European Championships. Fran then emulated this at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi when she medaled in five events again, more than any other athlete on the English team.
Fran is the current British Record holder in the 100m and 50m freestyle, as well as the 50m and 100m butterfly.