Alex made his debut for the Great British rowing team back in 2004, competing at the 2004 World Rowing U23 Championships in Poland. After performing impressively, Alex was once again selected to compete in the 2005 World U23 Championships finishing fourth in the doubles and eighth in the single. Upon his graduation from University, Alex was promoted to a full member of the male squad.
The potential of Olympic success first came onto the horizon for Alex in 2008, gaining selection for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as a reserve. It wasn’t until 2012 that Alex was able to compete at the Olympics, going on to claim the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games in the Coxless Four, competing alongside Pete Reed, Andrew Triggs Hodge and Tom James. Alex returned to the Olympic stage at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, once again claiming gold in the Coxless Four.
Alongside Olympic victories, Alex also hosts a plethora of World Championship and European Championship wins. Attending the 2009 World Championships, Alex claimed his first World Championship Gold, which was followed by four more World Championship golds in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015. He attended his first European Championships in 2014, claiming a gold medal in the coxless four. He continued this winning streak with a silver medal in the Eight discipline at the 2015 European Championships and a gold medal in coxless four at the 2016 European Championships. In reward of his efforts and commitment to rowing, Alex was named Olympic Athlete of the Year at the GB Rowing Teams Awards and was also appointed MBE during the 2013 New Year Honours.
As well as competitive rowing, Alex has taken to the waters to pioneer expeditions. In 2017 he embarked upon an arctic rowing expedition, traversing the cold waters to push his personal boundaries and test his mental resilience. His expedition gained plenty of attention, claiming several Guinness World Records in the process. Through rowing and expeditions, Alex has established a strong passion for the outdoors and has since written a book titled Dadventures which details various adventurous activities in a bid to help parents bond better with their children.
Alex is now also sought as a public speaker, with previous clients including the likes of Aviva, UCAS, Adobe and Paperchase to name a few. He is able to take audiences on a journey of adaptation, achieving peak performance and working efficiently in a team, all skills which he honed as part of Great British Rowing. Regularly performing above expectation, Alex knows what it takes to push personal boundaries and achieve maximum performance under pressure. Passionate, personable and committed, Alex is the perfect sports speaker to inspire future budding athletes to follow in his footsteps.
