Olympian Reed Backs Rowing Challenge At Royal Navy Careers Event

Published: 10/05/2011

On 19, 20 and 21 March, the Royal Navy attended the British Leisure Show at Windsor Racecourse as part of their 2010 recruitment campaign. Olympic Gold medallist rower Lieutenant Peter Reed MBE was on hand to talk about Navy careers and to award the prizes to the winners of the Royal Navy’s charity rowing challenge.

Over 500 competitors took part in the challenge to row as far as possible in 60 seconds in aid of Help for Heroes. The female winner was Cat Cassell from Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, and the male winner was Jamie Bolwell from Lymington in Hampshire.

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines 2010 recruitment campaign is aiming to recruit high quality, eligible candidates for Officer careers, and specifically targets 16-30 yr olds. There are over 270 Officer jobs available in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in 2010, from Royal Marines Commando Officers to Royal Navy Warfare, Weapon Engineer and Marine Engineer Officers.

Prior to the awards being presented Lieutenant Ben Kadinopoulos, a Royal Navy Weapons Engineer Officer explained “The Royal Navy is at the British Leisure Show to give an insight into the wide range of careers available in the Naval Service and the sporting and adventurous training activities and facilities open to members of our Service. The Royal Navy actively encourages its people to participate in sport and counts a number of Olympians and Olympic hopefuls in its ranks, including rower Pete Reed who won Gold in Beijing in 2008 in the Coxless Fours and is here today to present the prizes for our Help for Heroes rowing competition.”

On receiving her award from Pete, Cat Cassell said “I didn’t expect to win, I only came down to the Show because my Mum won tickets.”

Jamie added, “I took part to see if I could beat my Dad!”

Lt Kadinopoulos, a Royal Navy Careers Advisor, was not only on hand over the weekend to orchestrate the rowing challenge, but also to talk to potential Officers about his experiences in the Royal Navy, from the application and recruitment process to the training, travel and sports opportunities on offer.

Ben explains, “Royal Navy careers can be both rewarding and demanding. For those who thrive on challenge and adventure, Officer roles will provide many development opportunities. Officers are our management team, providing leadership and taking the decisions needed to fulfil our many and varied jobs. They are responsible for the training and development, welfare, morale and ultimately lives of the people under their command.”

One competitor in the charity rowing challenge, Sam Smith from Reading, said “A career in the Forces really appeals to me; the sport, the camaraderie, the opportunity to see the world. I’m currently doing A Levels in economics, business, maths and geography at Theale Green Community School and considering what to do next. I might go to University, but I’ve got a few friends who have joined the Forces so that’s another option.”

Lt Kadinopoulos wanted to study engineering and was looking for a challenging career that would keep him on his toes. Ben joined the Royal Navy from school on an engineering scholarship. He says the best part of his job is being put in a position of responsibility from an early age and the constantly changing environment that you find yourself in as an Officer.

Ben says, “Nothing really comes close to a career in the Royal Navy.  Few other jobs offer active employment, adventurous training, travel and job security. I’m a keen sportsman, my main sports being rowing and triathlon, but I’ve also played hockey for the Royal Navy and enjoy kite surfing, skiing and snowboarding. If you’re into adventurous pursuits a career in the Royal Navy could be for you. You can represent your ship or unit in numerous sports and there are plenty of opportunities to try new activities.”

He advises, “We employ all sorts of different people and we give you the specialist training that you need to do the job. It’s some of the best training in the world and recognised outside the Navy by industry.  What you do with that training and how you are employed is then down to you and your career manager. Work as a team and there are no limits to what you can achieve. If you’d like to join, research the roles, focus on the one for you and prepare.”

Lieutenant Pete Reed grew up in Nailsworth. Aged 17 he decided to join the Royal Navy as a Marine Engineer Officer. He won an Officer training scholarship to Britannia Royal Navy College in Dartmouth and a year later, sat on a rowing machine for the first time and recorded the fastest time in the Royal Navy’s annual fitness competition.

The Royal Navy sponsored Pete’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and in his second year he began rowing seriously. The Service then supported his MSc in Engineering at the University of Oxford. Pete helped Oxford win the 2005 Boat Race and from there was picked to replace James Cracknell in the Coxless Fours on his retirement. Pete has won numerous World Cups and World Championships in addition to his Gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and now has his sights set on another Gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics.

Pete says “I was the first in my family to join the Services and I’ve never looked back. I just jumped in with both feet and enjoyed every single second of it. What appealed to me most about the Royal Navy was the opportunities I would have to travel and to really excel my career from an early age. My best advice for someone that wanted to join the Navy would be to just go for it. Enjoy everything that the Service has to offer because it’s so diverse, so dynamic and there will be something for you out there. I haven’t regretted it for a second.”

Lieutenant Commander Penny Clark, a Royal Navy Marine Engineer Officer from the West Midlands, is one of Great Britain’s top female sailors. She finished 10th in the Laser Radial class at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and has now switched to the Women’s Doublehanded class for the London 2012 Games.

Lieutenant Lucy O’Connor, a Royal Navy Warfare Officer, works as a Physical Education Officer in Portsmouth. Lucy, from Norfolk, is Britain’s top female featherweight and after the last World Championships was ranked fifth in the world. Lucy began boxing on HMS Grafton on deployment in the Caribbean and hopes to represent Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics.

Royal Marine Lee Johnston has been bobsleighing for 15 years. Lee joined the Royal Marines to travel the world. He is an all round athlete and in addition to competing in three Winter Olympics and more than 10 World Championships Lee has represented the Naval Service in athletics, rugby, swimming and diving.

Captain Mike Davis-Marks, Captain Naval Recruiting says, “We are currently looking for technically minded graduates and non graduates who have a keen interest in being part of the Royal Navy and feel that they need a new challenge.  We offer a top choice in graduate recruitment with some of the best training in the world.”