Pete Reed – “Plan A is to walk again but Plan B is not so bad.”

When Lt Cdr Pete Reed told Calacus that he had had a spinal stroke, we presumed it was like a regular stroke and that him telling us meant he was now recovering in anticipation of a return to normal life.

We have known Reed since he triumphed in Beijing in 2008, shed tears as he secured Olympic glory in two subsequent editions of the Games and we have supported some of his charity work as well.

The three-time Olympic gold medal-winning rower, who returned to the Royal Navy when he decided to stop competing, has inspired his social media audience in recent years with push-up challenges and other fitness goals.

When we later discovered that he had been paralysed from the chest down, we were in shock as were his friends and followers.

He is now adjusting to a new life in a wheelchair and the long road to recovery, posting inspirational messages that confirm his positive approach to this dramatic incident on his life.

“Some people have suggested that my positivity is just for social media but the truth is, I really do feel good. I am sure it will catch up with me at some point, but I have let go of what I was quite quickly and adapted to the situation.

“The public would forgive me if I was struggling mentally because this is not a good situation but that is not who I am. You can either be strong or weak and to me there is no choice.

“If you feel strong, then you are strong then you do more and you get stronger, which is exactly the same as my life in the military or sport.”

And Reed believes his rowing training, which saw him push his body to the limit for three Olympic cycles, has prepared him for the situation he now faces.

“I have had an adult life of facing challenges and overcoming them,” he added.

“Every morning when I wake up, every single part is a challenge, from getting to the bathroom, having a shower, getting dressed and having physio.

“I think back to my life rowing and I rarely wanted to get up, especially at this time of year when it is dark and rainy and windy.

“You get up enormously fatigued for another training day of weights, rowing, and the ergo, so in many ways it’s so familiar.”

Reed also admitted that he will treat his journey of recovery just like training for the Olympic Games.

He said: “It might be a four-year cycle to find out what I can get back into my legs. Three months into an Olympiad, you know very little about yourself at that stage.

“Right now, it is such early days and I have no idea what will happen in the next three months. But I feel independent and confident and I will stretch myself to reintegrate positively.

“My whole life will be disciplined and being strict about what I eat and drink, which affects how I handle the day and how I handle the week….I have to eat quality food to help get oxygen in the blood and to my spine. I can’t take my body for granted anymore.

“The public only see that I can’t walk but there is so much more that has affected me and it’s like being a child again and learning about your body and how it works…that’s the shocking thing.

“I don’t want to put on weight because I am not burning as much as an active person. When you transfer from wheelchair to seat or bed, it puts pressure on your shoulders so I have to look after myself. It takes ten times more looking after than it ever did before.

“Life now is preparation, planning, management, adjustment and humour and you get through a lot by laughing at a few things.”

It’s not lost on Reed that 2020 is an Olympic year and the support he has had from the rowing community has both inspired and focused his mind.

“I still feel part of the rowing family, and I had no idea how well thought of I was around the world, and I appreciate the support I have had.

“It’s been great to catch up with my coach Jürgen Gröbler and Andy Triggs-Hodge (his former rowing mate). It was a big shock to them as it was to me but it’s so healthy to catch up with old friends, who are now a clear 2ft taller than me!

“I can’t set goals about how much I can strength in my legs I can get back because it happens as it happens…there will be a limit to what I can get back and I will get as close to that limit as I can, so setting targets like that are difficult.

“But I said recently to one of the rowers that I would like to go to Tokyo for the Olympic Games to contribute. It’s seven months away and that’s really possible.

“Goals like that are the grounding and really useful.

“Right now, I would not fancy getting on a plane to Japan, but gradually I expand my horizons and realise these things become possible.”

Instead of just focusing on himself, Reed now has bigger goals to support others who have been affected by paralysis.

“I am ever so grateful for the messages that come in which do affect me emotionally and I really am moved by my support.

“I am so glad I came back to the Royal Navy after rowing, and they have been a tremendous support.

 “I have a louder voice and I can make a difference to a lot of people with disabilities, particularly spinal cord injuries.

“I have the opportunity to give back and help people and I feel I can reach out to more people through how I am dealing with this.

“I was planning to help stronger people get stronger, now I can help people who are facing real adversity to get out of that situation.”

This will be Reed’s first Christmas in a wheelchair and will give him some precious time alone with his partner Jeannie – and he wants to make it as normal as possible.

“I am trying to not making it any different. I am still in hospital but I am independent enough for the doctors to be happy enough for me to leave for a few days.

“I can’t get back to my home because it is in accessible so I have organised some Airbnbs disabled access so Jeannie and I can have time together which we have not had for months. We both have a lot of learning to do and have spoken a lot about our relationship.

“My aim is to first of all become as independent as possible. I have so many ideas running around my head about the future, but they are not my priority. Healing and Jeannie and independence are my priorities.

“Plan A is to walk again but Plan B is not so bad.”

Andrew Triggs-Hodge has set up a fundraising page for Pete Reed, which you can visit HERE