Tom Parker

Tom was selected for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as one of the spares.

Tom is a former World U23 silver medalist, who was a member of the winning Oxford crew in the 2006 University Boat Race. In 2007 he won his place in the men's eight for the World Championships, but fell ill on the morning of the first race and had to be substituted. He won bronze in the eight at the World Cup in Amsterdam, June 2007 and came 4th in the eight at the World Cup in Lucerne. In 2008 he placed 10th in the pair with Tom Burton at the Munich World Cup. 

Tom emerged on to the international scene in 2004 winning a silver medal in the coxed four at the World U23 Championships in Poznan, and in the same year he finished 5th in the eight at the World University Championships. He made the final of the pair at the 2005 GB Rowing Senior Trials and then raced in the men's eight throughout the World Cup series in 2005 taking a bronze medal at Eton in May and a fifth place at the World Cup finals in Lucerne in July. The eight went on to perform well at the 2005 World Championships in Gifu, Japan, finishing 4th.

In October 2005 he began a course in theology at Oxford University and was selected for the Blue boat that went on to win in the 2006 University Boat Race.

At the 2006 World Championships he was part of the GB men's coxed four which was fifth.

Tom learnt to row at Pilgrims Prep School, aged 11, and Radley College, where he was coached by Donald Leggett. He went on to row for Oxford Brookes University.

Tom played drums in a school band, won a Duke of Edinburgh gold award and sailed the Atlantic in the Tall Ships Race. His father rowed for his college at Oxford and his brother Sam rowed for the second Oxford boat (Isis) in 2003 and 2004.

Tom is Lottery Funded through UK Sport.