With his last-gasp victory as part of the Great British coxless four team at the Athens Olympics, Matthew Pinsent clinched an historic fourth Olympic Gold to add to the three already won with his legendary rowing partner Steve Redgrave. In an uniquely exciting and evocative autobiography, Pinsent interweaves the build-up to Athens 2004 with the extraordinary story of his career and unforgettable partnership with Redgrave. Plucked from obscurity at the age of 20, told to partner his hero, and trained to within an inch of his life, Pinsent's story is uniquely revealing about what it takes to be a champion and the mixed blessings of success. Culminating with a nail-biting final chapter detailing the team's extraordinary victory in Athens in blow-by-blow detail,A Lifetime in a Raceis a sports book in a different mould.

Matthew Pinsent started rowing at school in 1983, less than a decade later he won his first gold medal at the 1992 Olympics, with Steve Redgrave in the coxless pair. Together they defended their gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. In Sydney 2000 they changed to a coxless four and won another gold. In Athens 2004, this time without Redgrave, Matthew won his fourth gold. Matthew has also won 10 gold World Championship medals. He was awarded the MBE in 1993 and CBE in 2001. He writes for the Time and, Racing News and is sponsored by Camelot, Marks&Spencer and Rover cars. He was educated at Eton and Oxford and lives in Henley and London.

The Sunday Times Bestselling autobiography of one of Britain's greatest Olympians - including an account of Pinsent's dramatic and emotional Gold Medal winning final in Athens