Tokyo 2020 Olympic Gold-Medal Rower, Engineer & Team Performance Speaker

Michael Brake is an Olympic gold medallist — part of the New Zealand Men's Eight that broke a 49-year drought to win at Tokyo 2020. A civil engineer by training and now a multi-disciplinary professional, he speaks with humility and clarity about elite team performance, preparation and pulling off the unexpected.

Who is Michael Brake?

Born in Auckland in 1994 (Ngāti Porou), Michael picked up rowing at 13 at Westlake Boys' High School. He represented New Zealand at junior, U23 and senior levels, came back from multiple wrist surgeries, and went on to win Olympic gold alongside seven teammates in one of NZ rowing's greatest moments.

Career Highlights

• Olympic gold medal, Men's Eight, Tokyo 2020 — NZ's first since 1972

• 6th in the Men's Eight at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

• Silver medal, Coxless Pair, 2019 World Rowing Championships (with Tom Murray)

• Gold medal, Men's Coxed Four, 2012 World Rowing Junior Championships

• Silver medal, 2014 World Rowing U23 Championships

• Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), University of Auckland

• Targeting the 2028 LA Olympics in coastal rowing

• Civil engineering professional and emerging speaker

Key Speaking Themes

• Team performance and what it really takes to win together

• Preparation, planning and executing at a pinnacle event

• Defying expectations and the "Regatta of Death" mindset

• Resilience through injury and the long road back

• Lessons in leadership from an eight-person boat

What Your Audience Will Gain

A grounded, authentic insight into elite team performance from someone who lived it. Michael's story of going into Tokyo as the sixth-ranked crew and rowing home Olympic champions has powerful business parallels around preparation, trust and the value of every seat in the boat. Often speaks alongside teammate Tom Mackintosh.

Ideal For

• Leadership and team-performance conferences

• Sales kick-offs and corporate keynotes

• Sports awards and sponsor events

• High-performance and resilience sessions

• After-dinner functions and gala dinners

Frequently Asked Questions about Michael Brake

What does Michael Brake speak about? Olympic-level team performance, preparation, trust, resilience and the mindset of an underdog crew that became world champions.

What is Michael Brake best known for? Winning Olympic gold as part of the New Zealand Men's Eight at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games — NZ's first eights gold since 1972.

What is the "Regatta of Death"? The final-chance Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne, May 2021, where the Kiwi men's eight earned their Tokyo spot before going on to win gold.

Where did Michael Brake grow up? He's from Auckland and rowed for Westlake Boys' High School before joining North Shore Rowing Club.

What does Michael Brake do outside rowing? He works as a civil engineer and is pursuing coastal rowing with an eye on the 2028 LA Olympic Games.

Is Michael Brake available for keynotes in NZ? Yes. Michael speaks at corporate, school and sports events, often in tandem with his Olympic teammate Tom Mackintosh.