Duncan Goodhew

{{Infobox swimmer

| name = Duncan Goodhew
{{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}}

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| fullname = Duncan Alexander Goodhew

| nicknames =

| national_team = United Kingdom

| strokes = Breaststroke

| club =

| collegeteam = North Carolina State University

| coach = Don Easterling
(NCSU)

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|5|27|df=y}}

| birth_place = Marylebone, London, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 6 ft

| weight = {{convert|176|lb|stlb kg|order=flip|abbr=on}}

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{GBR2}}}}

{{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }}

|show-medals=yes

}}

Duncan Alexander Goodhew, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}} (born 27 May 1957) is an English former competitive swimmer. After swimming competitively in America as a collegian at North Carolina State University, he was an Olympic swimmer for Great Britain and won Olympic gold and bronze medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. He also swam at the 1976 Summer Olympics.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/go/duncan-goodhew-1.html |title=Duncan Goodhew Olympic Results |access-date=8 December 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203060159/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/go/duncan-goodhew-1.html |archive-date=3 December 2016 }}

Early life

Goodhew attended Windlesham House School and Millfield School (Walton House).

He was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 13.

At the age of 15, he fell out of a tree, which triggered permanent hair loss due to alopecia universalis.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/where-are-they-now-duncan-goodhew-1458970.html |title=Where are they now?: Duncan Goodhew |first=Jon |last=Culley |date=3 August 1993 |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=13 April 2017}}

Career

Goodhew came to prominence as an international swimmer in 1976, finishing 7th in the 100m breaststroke at the Montreal Olympics that summer.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/go/duncan-goodhew-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417165308/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/go/duncan-goodhew-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2020|title=Duncan Goodhew Bio, Stats and Results|access-date=25 February 2018}} Four years later, in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, he won gold in the 100m breaststroke, in a time of 1:03.34, and a bronze in the 4x100m medley relay. He represented England and won three silver medals in the breaststroke events and medley relay, at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/edmonton-1978/athletes|title=1978 Athletes|website=Team England}}{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/52386|title=Athletes and results|website=Commonwealth Games Federation}} At the ASA National British Championships he won the 100 metres breaststroke title in 1976, 1978 and 1980 and the 200 metres breaststroke title in 1976, 1978 and 1980.{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS135102234/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=7a2deaa1|title="Evening of doubt turns into one of triumph." Times, 26 Aug. 1976, p. 8|newspaper=The Times|date=26 August 1976 |page=8 }}{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS369459899/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=c29639fc|title=Hennessy, John. "Swimming." Times, 27 May 1978, p. 22|newspaper=The Times|date=27 May 1978 |page=22 |last1=Hennessy |first1=John }}{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS185304762/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=ac6aeef5|title=Hennessy, John. "Swimming." Times, 26 May 1980, p. 11|newspaper=The Times|date=26 May 1980 |page=11 |last1=Hennessy |first1=John }}

As an undergraduate swimmer at North Carolina State University in the mid-70's, Goodhew was mentored by North Carolina State swimming Coach Don Easterling who led the team from 1971-1995.{{cite web|url=https://news.ncsu.edu/2023/01/easterling-remembered-as-a-master-motivator/|title=Easterling Remembered As a Master Motivator|publisher=North Carolina State University News|access-date=18 June 2023}} Coach Easterling's North Carolina State teams won twelve straight Atlantic Coast Conference Championships from 1971 through 1982.{{cite web|url=https://swimswam.com/17-time-acc-title-winning-nc-state-coach-don-easterling-dies-90/|title=Seventeen Time ACC Title Winning North Carolina State Coach Don Easterling Dies at 90|publisher=SwimSwam|access-date=18 June 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://gopack.com/news/2023/1/14/swimming-wolfpack-mourns-the-loss-of-hall-of-fame-coach|title=Swimming WolfPack Mourns the Loss of Hall of Fame Coach Bob Steele|publisher=North Carolina State Swimming|access-date=18 June 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/nc-state/article271213697.html|title=Alexander, Chip, Don Easterling, who coached NC State to ACC swimming dominance, dies at age 90|publisher=The News and Observer|access-date=18 June 2023}}

Goodhew was selected by the British Bobsleigh Association to represent Great Britain at the 1981 European Championships.{{Cite web|url=https://www.swimming.org/swimengland/duncan-goodhew/|title=Duncan Goodhew - Swim England Hall of Fame|date=30 September 2019|website=Swim England}}

He is also an author and motivational speaker. In 1983 he was appointed an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for services to sport. In 1987 he participated in Prince Edward's charity television special The Grand Knockout Tournament.

Goodhew's 100m breaststroke gold medal achievement was ranked 99th in the British network Channel 4's 100 Greatest Sporting Moments in 2002.

On 29 September 2001, Goodhew participated in an international relay off the coast of California from Santa Catalina Island to Santa Monica.{{cite news

|url = http://www.domainofopportunity.com/

|title = Home

|work = DomainofOpportunity.com

|access-date = 3 July 2010

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100413230551/http://www.domainofopportunity.com/

|archive-date = 13 April 2010

|df = dmy

}} Of the eight international relay teams participating, each team had one swimmer with MS. Goodhew swam on the same team as organizer and MS activist Taylor MH.{{cite news

|url=http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/news/Oct2001/SwimmerwMS.html

|title=Swimming to Santa Monica

|date=18 October 2001

|newspaper=The Independent

|access-date=26 May 2011}} Proceeds from fund-raising were all donated to the Myelin Project.{{cite news

|url=http://www.domainofopportunity.com/articleslarge/press_6.jpg

|title=Mike Does His Charity Swim, With Dolphins...And a Shark

|last=Eldred

|first=Georgia

|newspaper=South London Press

|access-date=26 May 2011

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324154031/http://www.domainofopportunity.com/articleslarge/press_6.jpg

|archive-date=24 March 2012

}}

Goodhew has made a number of television appearances including featuring in several episodes of Dave Gorman's Important Astrology Experiment.{{cn|date=May 2022}}

Personal life

Goodhew married Annie Patterson, an American graphic designer from North Carolina, in December 1984, and they have two children.{{cite news |url=http://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/246288/Duncan-Goodhew-Five-things-I-can-t-live-without |title=Duncan Goodhew: Five things I can't live without |first=Duncan |last=Goodhew |date=13 May 2011 |newspaper=Daily Express |access-date=13 April 2017}}

In 2000, Labour MP Robert Sheldon collapsed in the street and was revived by mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by Goodhew who happened to be passing.{{cite web|title=Famous Award Winners|url=https://royalhumanesociety.org.uk/the-society-history-and-archives/history/famous-winners/|access-date=13 November 2020|publisher=Royal Humane Society}}