Alastair Heathcote

Al was selected in the men's eight for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and won a silver medal. 

Al won a bronze medal in the eight at the 2007 World Rowing Championships, his first GB selection. This followed a strong World Cup series which included a bronze medal in Amsterdam. In the 2008 World Cup series he raced in the eight finishing 3rd in Lucerne and 1st in Poznan.

He joined the army in 2001 and was commissioned into the Blues and Royals regiment. Whilst he was in Bosnia and Iraq he trained on an ergo that had been flown to the camp in Basra. Due to the patrol programme that Alastair was assigned to and the very hot temperatures, it often meant that he had to complete his ergo at 3.00 am with his rifle, body armour and helmet to hand, in case of attack.

After completing this tour, Alastair taught tank gunnery in Dorset, where he found himself instructing Olympic rower and international medallist Robin Bourne–Taylor, who was undergoing army officer training.

They decided to try for GB selection in the autumn of 2006 and managed to balance the demands of a full time military career with rowing under the coaching of Jonny Singfield, himself a former GB international and medallist. The Army has now allowed Alastair to train full time with the GB Squad.

Alastair started rowing at Eton College and continued the sport whilst studying at Newcastle and Oxford Brookes Universities.

Alastair is Lottery Funded through UK Sport.