Steven Redgrave was born on March 23, 1962 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. At school he suffered from dyslexia, and later in life he was also diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and diabetes, but he never let those conditions stand in his way of enjoying a successful sporting career.
Steve was awarded the MBE in 1987, and the CBE in the New Year’s Honours list of 1997, and following success in Sydney 2000, was awarded a Knighthood in 2001.
In 2002, the race when he won his fifth Olympic gold in Sydney was voted the winner in Channel 4’s 100 Greatest Sporting Moments.
With five Olympic gold medals and a bronze, he is the most successful male rower in history.
Three of Redgrave’s Olympic gold medals were won alongside his long-term rowing partner Matthew Pinsent.
In addition to his achievements at the Olympics, Redgrave also won nine World Championship gold medals, as well as three at the Commonwealth Games.
In 2011, Redgrave received a BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.
At the 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony the legendary oarsman was given the honour of carrying the torch into the stadium.
