Duncan Goodhew
Encyclopedia
Duncan Alexander Goodhew MBE
(born 27 May 1957) is a British swimming
athlete. 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
.
and Millfield School (Walton House). He was the England swimming team captain, and Olympic champion. His bald head made him instantly recognisable. He in fact has alopecia universalis
(total lack of hair, not just on head), which gives him a minute hydrodynamic advantage when swimming. He is also dyslexic, and one of his numerous nicknames at school was Duncan the Dunce. He was a member of the British bobsleigh team at the 1981 European Championships (c.f. We Are the Champions, 1984 Grand Final)
He is also an author and motivational speaker
. He was appointed an MBE
by Queen Elizabeth II
for services to sport.
Duncan's 100 m breaststroke gold medal achievement was ranked 99th in the British network Channel 4
's 100 Greatest Sporting Moments in 2002.
He has made a number of television appearances including Dave Gorman
's Important Astrology Experiment.
After the London protests during the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay
, Duncan Goodhew stated that the protests were "a bad example for children".
On September 29, 2001, Goodhew participated in an international relay off the coast of California
from Santa Catalina Island
to Santa Monica
. 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
. Proceeds from fund-raising were all donated the Myelin Project.
TV series The Office
during a motivational speech by David Brent (Ricky Gervais), by The Toy Dolls in a song called Yul Brynner Was A Skinhead, in an episode of Little Britain
in which a bald character is likened to the swimmer and in The Mighty Boosh
, when a peacock crashes into his back in a speech made by Naboo. He is also sardonically mentioned in the Only Fools and Horses
episode The Longest Night
by Tom Clark, the head security officer of the fictional Top Buyer Superstores.
In the BBC Radio 4
spoof news programme On The Hour
, the sports desk presenter Alan Partridge
often alludes to a fictional incident where Goodhew's hair 'tragically' grows back, thus robbing him of his celebrity status as a 'cheery bald swimming star'.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 27 May 1957) is a British swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
athlete. After swimming competitively in America as a collegian at North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
, he was an Olympic swimmer for Great Britain and won Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold and bronze medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Swimming at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Swimming as usual was one of the three Aquatics disciplines at the 1980 Summer Olympics--the other two being Water Polo and Diving. The swimming competition consisted of 26 events: 13 for men and 13 for women. It was held in the Swimming Pool of the Olimpiysky Sports Complex between July 20 and...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Biography
Goodhew attended Windlesham House SchoolWindlesham House School
Windlesham House School was founded in 1837 by Charles Robert Malden and was the first boys' preparatory school in the United Kingdom. The independent school is located near Washington, West Sussex having moved there in 1934. It caters for over 300 pupils, both boarding and day, aged from four to...
and Millfield School (Walton House). He was the England swimming team captain, and Olympic champion. His bald head made him instantly recognisable. He in fact has alopecia universalis
Alopecia universalis
Alopecia universalis or alopecia areata universalis is a medical condition involving rapid loss of all hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes. It is the most severe form of alopecia areata, with an incidence of .001%...
(total lack of hair, not just on head), which gives him a minute hydrodynamic advantage when swimming. He is also dyslexic, and one of his numerous nicknames at school was Duncan the Dunce. He was a member of the British bobsleigh team at the 1981 European Championships (c.f. We Are the Champions, 1984 Grand Final)
He is also an author and motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
. He was appointed an MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
for services to sport.
Duncan's 100 m breaststroke gold medal achievement was ranked 99th in the British network Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's 100 Greatest Sporting Moments in 2002.
He has made a number of television appearances including Dave Gorman
Dave Gorman
David James Gorman is an English author, stand-up comedian and presenter. He has performed comedy shows on stage in which he tells stories of extreme adventures and presents the evidence to the audience in order to prove to them that they are true stories...
's Important Astrology Experiment.
After the London protests during the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay
2008 Summer Olympics torch relay
The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from March 24 until August 8, 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics, with the theme of "one world, one dream". Plans for the relay were announced on April 26, 2007, in Beijing, China...
, Duncan Goodhew stated that the protests were "a bad example for children".
On September 29, 2001, Goodhew participated in an international relay off the coast of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
from Santa Catalina Island
Santa Catalina Island, California
Santa Catalina Island, often called Catalina Island, or just Catalina, is a rocky island off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The island is long and across at its greatest width. The island is located about south-southwest of Los Angeles, California. The highest point on the island is...
to Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
. 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
Taylor MH
Mike Taylor , also known by the alias Taylor MH, is an English athlete, public speaker, and author from Stourbridge, England. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 26, he became the first person with MS to successfully swim a relay of the English Channel in 1997...
. Proceeds from fund-raising were all donated the Myelin Project.
Cultural references
He is mentioned in the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV series The Office
The Office (UK TV series)
The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
during a motivational speech by David Brent (Ricky Gervais), by The Toy Dolls in a song called Yul Brynner Was A Skinhead, in an episode of Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
in which a bald character is likened to the swimmer and in The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
, when a peacock crashes into his back in a speech made by Naboo. He is also sardonically mentioned in the Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
episode The Longest Night
The Longest Night
"The Longest Night" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the third episode of series 5, and was first screened on 14 September, 1986.-Synopsis:...
by Tom Clark, the head security officer of the fictional Top Buyer Superstores.
In the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
spoof news programme On The Hour
On the Hour
On the Hour was a British radio programme that parodied current affairs broadcasting, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1991 and 1992.Written by Chris Morris, Armando Iannucci, Steven Wells, Andrew Glover, Stewart Lee, Richard Herring and David Quantick, it starred Morris as the overzealous and...
, the sports desk presenter Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge
Alan Gordon Partridge is a fictional radio and television presenter portrayed by English comedian Steve Coogan and invented by Coogan, Armando Iannucci, Stewart Lee and Richard Herring for the BBC Radio 4 programme On The Hour...
often alludes to a fictional incident where Goodhew's hair 'tragically' grows back, thus robbing him of his celebrity status as a 'cheery bald swimming star'.
External links
- Biography on Agents website
- TV Appearances on IMDB