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Alex represented Team GB in the Coxless Four and the Men’s Eight, winning two Olympic gold medals and five World Championship titles – all whilst raising a young family. He is one of only three men to have won six consecutive international titles in rowing and was recognised with an MBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honours. Alex is recognised as one of the leading rowers in the world.

Born in Cheltenham, Alex did not learn to row until he began his A Levels and joined Evesham Rowing Club. On arrival at Reading, he joined and represented the Reading University Boat Club and progressed quickly into the British rowing system. However, success did not come easily at first, with a string of – in Alex’s words – disappointing world rankings in sculling followed by an injury. In 2008 whilst watching team mates compete in the Beijing Olympics, Alex made the pivotal decision to change from sculling to sweep rowing. 

12 months later, he won his first World Championship title in the Men’s Coxless Four alongside fellow Reading alumnus Rick Egington. A second World title followed in 2011. In 2012, Alex and his crew forged their way to gold on the waters of Eton Dorney on so-called “Super Saturday” – a triumph that earned Alex an MBE. 

In 2013, he changed boat classes and raced in the Men’s Eight at the World Championships in South Korea, winning a historic first title for a British team in that class. He achieved two more titles – winning the Coxless Four in the World Championships in Amsterdam (2014) and the Eight in France (2015) – before successfully defending his Olympic title and winning a second gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

He retired from professional competition after Rio but did not leave his oars behind. In  2017, he joined an Arctic Expedition in which international athletes attempted to row across the Arctic Ocean. The group reached the Northern-most latitude ever visited by a rowing vessel, and successfully finished the expedition on the remote Arctic Island of Jan Mayen with numerous world records achieved.

"The University of Reading went above and beyond to support me in my studies and sporting ambitions, and for that I'm forever grateful."

Alex Gregory

alex gregory mbe

​BSc Geography (2006)
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Subjects A-B

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management, Accounting and Finance

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Science
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Medieval History
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
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