Olympic rowing champion Pete Reed paralysed after 'rare' stroke
Three-time Olympic rowing champion Pete Reed says he has become partially paralysed from a stroke.
The rower, who won gold medals for Great Britain in the coxless four at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and in the eight another four years on in Rio, retired from the sport last year.
"I've got a piece of shocking news. I've had a spinal stroke. It's very rare," he said in a video to his hands.
"I don't need any pity.
"My priority is healing."
He said on Instagram that he is paralysed from the chest down after suffering a stroke in the middle of his spine last month.
Reed says the extent of the damage is still not clear.
"There is a very small chance I will make no recovery and a very small chance I will make a full recovery. Much more likely it will be somewhere in between," he wrote on Thursday.
"Spinal strokes are very rare. They essentially starve the spinal cord of oxygen which can kill off the cells that transmit the signals sent between the brain and (in my case) the lower body.
"Doctors can't be certain what caused my stroke. It was in the middle of my spine so I'm currently paralysed beneath my chest.
Three-time Olympic champion Pete Reed is in the British Navy as well as an accomplished rower. Instagram
"Prognosis: there is no crystal ball.
"To what extent depends on the extent of the damage (which we can't see) and how well I rehab."
The 38-year-old Reed is an officer in the British Navy.
He was a member of the gold-winning coxless four crew at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and switched to the eight for 2016.
"My arms are still strong and my brain is still as average as it ever was," Reed said on Instagram.
"My personal support network continues to be bombproof (thank you so much) and I am handling myself every bit as well as you would hope.
"I'm keeping a diary of this whole experience - the ups, downs, challenges, triumphs."
