Matthew Beechey

Matt has represented GB at junior, under 23 and senior level. Matt came 5th in the lightweight pair at the 2007 World Rowing Championships. In the 2008 World Cup series he raced in the lightweight pair at Munich finishing 5th and in the lightweight quad at Poznan finishing 3rd.

Matt started rowing in 1992 at Worcester Rowing Club after his father, himself a rower, encouraged him to try out in his single scull. He took to it immediately and in 1995 he made his international debut when he was selected to go to the World Junior Rowing Championships in which he finished 13th in the double scull.

After winning a gold medal at the 1996 National Championships in the lightweight double scull, Matt was selected for the British Under 23 quadruple scull and came back from Belgium with a bronze medal.

In 1997 and 1998 he raced as a senior in the Olympic class lightweight double and in 1999 Matt was selected as the lightweight under 23 single sculler. He put in an outstanding performance to win the bronze medal in 6 mins 55 secs, a time achieved by few senior British lightweight scullers.

In 2000 he made the switch from sculling to rowing and gained a World Championship silver medal in the men's lightweight eight. The following year he again won a place in the lightweight eight finishing fifth in the World Championships.

In 2002, Matt won the GB Rowing Senior Trials in the lightweight men's coxless pair. He raced in the quad which won bronze at the final World Cup of the season in Munich and at the World Championships when the same boat reached the final and finished fourth.

In 2003 Matt raced in the lightweight men's double scull in Milan at the season's opening World Cup and reached the B Final. At the World Championships he moved to sweep rowing finishing sixth in the lightweight eight.

In 2005 he finished sixth in the light weight men's four at the Eton World Cup in May, and during the 2006 World Cup took fourth in Munich, fifth in Poznan and seventh in Lucerne.

At the 2006 World Championships the GB lightweight men's four reached the final in exciting style and finished fifth. He also won a bronze medal in the lightweight four at the Linz World Cup in June 2007.

Matt is a sports fanatic and loves physically challenging sports although he also tries to fit in a relaxing game of golf when time permits. He is a graduate of University College Worcester where he completed a degree in Sports Studies and now works part time as a fitness instructor.

Matt is Lottery Funded through UK Sport.