Nick Mead is not your usual Olympic athlete by any means. His main source of income is his day job at Peloton where he works as a Senior Transportation planner. But, if you think that makes him just an average Joe, think again. He won the gold medal in the men’s four boat final for the US rowing team. This is the first time they have done this in the past 64 years.

He took to Instagram shortly after his win, posting an image of him holding the medal with a caption. It read, “Peloton Employee by Day, Team USA Rowing Champ By Night”. This becomes even more special because he rows boats absolutely for his love and passion for the sport and has succeeded in bagging victory for it. The great success will be celebrated and honored, as he has been selected to be one of two flag bearers for the USA team at the closing ceremony with Katie Ledecky. No rower has ever been chosen to do this. It is a big accomplishment for which he will be proud for years to come.

Meet Nick Mead, the sensational rower of the Paris Olympics

Nick Mead was born on March 12, 1995, in Strafford, Pennsylvania, and is currently 29 years old. He has been passionate about rowing since childhood and aspired to pursue it professionally. Consequently, he chose Princeton University for college, as it boasts one of the best rowing programs in the country. Both his father, Philip, and his mother, Carolyn, were also members of Princeton’s rowing team during their college years.

During his time at Princeton, he won numerous trophies, including the Navy-Princeton Rowing Cup, the Childs Cup, and the Content Cup. In 2015, he competed in the prestigious Ladies’ Plate Challenge, hosted in England, which is among the most esteemed rowing competitions in the world. At his first Olympics in 2021, he was part of the eight-man team that narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing in a heartbreaking fourth place. Determined to succeed, he secured a victory in his next Olympic appearance.

What makes Nick Mead the most deserving to be the US flag bearer?

Nick Mead, rowing in the bow position, and his team defeated New Zealand by less than a second to claim the title and secure their place at the top of the podium. They achieved a time of 5:49.03. The last time they won this event was 64 years ago, at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. It was a mesmerizing sight, as rowing fans had been eagerly awaiting this moment for a long time.

This performance is why Mead deserves to be the flag bearer; he made his nation proud in a way they hadn’t anticipated. The fact that he took a leave from his full-time job at Peloton to compete makes his achievement even more remarkable. When asked about his thoughts, he said, “Try to represent rowing as best as possible,” and added, “I got chills.” He will cherish this achievement for a very long time.