British rower Pete Reed is determined to do everything he can to win gold at the London Olympics.
Former Oxford Blue pushing himself to the limit in training
Rower Pete Reed is determined to do everything in his power to make sure he has the best chance of winning gold at the London Olympics.
Reed was a member of the men's four - along with Andrew Triggs Hodge, Tom James and Steve Williams - that triumphed at the 2008 Games.
Since then, the former Oxford Blue and Hodge have switched to the pairs, where they have found it tough to beat the New Zealand crew of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray, while the new-look men's four have gone on to be crowned world champions.
GB Rowing men's coach Jurgen Grobler has yet to finalise his selection plans for this summer, and Reed - who was actually born in Seattle - is out to ensure his selection for the top boat.
"Jurgen's decision will be life-changing for some people. We have all got our dream of Olympic gold," Reed said.
"I have faith in Jurgen's selection so I don't have a favourite boat, be it the pair, four or eight. I just want to be in the top boat and have the best chance of a gold medal.
"To do that I need to be as good as I have ever been and improve again this year.
"We went on a training camp in December and it was brutal. I tried as hard as I could to push myself through my limits and I did that successfully.
"It hurt me a lot. One day I couldn't finish the training so the next day I added what I had missed on top of my normal training load. It was crazy stuff like that.
"But I found new limits. That is the whole point, testing yourself and going beyond what you thought you could do. I am on new levels now.
"I am very confident in my own abilities, confident of what I have done in the past and where I am now.
"I think I have a brilliant shot of being in the top boat and when that is formed I think I have a brilliant shot of a gold medal."
Home benefits
Reed's drive to succeed is even greater knowing that he has the chance of glory on home water.
"I am driven on by having a constant reminder that this is your home Olympics in the back of your mind," Reed said.
"Nobody likes being in pain at the time but the enjoyment and satisfaction you get immediately afterwards, of doing something that was so painful, getting through it, rebuilding yourself and finding new levels is more satisfying than anything else.
"That is what keeps me going. We all have things that motivate us and rising to the challenge is one of the things that is sport."
Team GB will be favourites to top the rowing medal table at London 2012, just as they did in Beijing four years ago.
"A lot of the selection has been done but there is more to do and Jurgen is being very thorough in testing to rank his athletes," Reed added.
"We have a great system where we train in the same place. The guys at the top need to fight off the guys who are nipping at their heels.
"There is always fighting and rivalry going on. We are competing every day but in a professional way.
"The team is in really good spirits and everyone is getting on - but it is a tense time because everyone wants to get their best position in the team."
