BACK in Nailsworth after winning a third Olympic gold, it has been a whirlwind few months for Pete Reed.

After being welcomed back to his home town on Sunday, the rower spoke to SNJ reporter Saul Cooke-Black about his experience in Rio and what the future could hold.

From a young age Pete Reed enjoyed taking part in sporting activities and it was at the King George V playing fields in Nailsworth that he spent much of his time with friends.

There could have been no more apt location, then, for the rower's homecoming celebration.

Now a local and national sporting legend, Reed could barely have dreamed of the success he would go on to achieve.

And speaking to the SNJ, the rower admitted that he is still unable to understand the enormity of his success.

"I am absolutely proud of what I have achieved and I am so lucky to have been with such a skilled team, but I don't think I have really been able to think about it properly yet," said Reed, a former pupil at Nailsworth Primary and Cirencester Deer Park Schools.

"The achievement is big and I will realise what it is properly at some point."

Reed, who shared his success on a visit to his former primary school today, hopes that he will be able to offer inspiration to his many young fans.

"It was wonderful to see so many young people come along to the homecoming and the lovely thing about Sunday was that it was so intimate, you could see the whites of their eyes.

"Nailsworth is a special place to come back to, it is where I have childhood memories, and after the Olympics it is the place I was looking forward to coming back to most.

"It was lovely to see so many people turn out and if it has inspired just one or two people that would be wonderful."

Reed, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, said his message to young fans would be to find out for themselves what they are good at and to work hard for it.

"I am just a normal guy, I am not superhuman," Reed said.

"I found something that I am good at and kept working hard at it.

"My message would be to never give up."

Speaking about his experience in Rio, Reed praised the spirit and atmosphere of the Games.

He said members of Team GB had stuck together and there had been a 'party' atmosphere.

"There was a lot of pressure but everybody in the team handled it so well," he said.

"It was a real party atmosphere, everybody cheering and coming back together on the plane was wonderful.

"It was a special Games that I will never forget."

At the age of 35, Reed is still at the height of his fitness, having come into rowing at a relatively late age.

He admitted that he had been thinking about the question of a fourth Olympics, but has yet to decide.

"Of course I have thought about going for a fourth Olympic gold but I need some time to think about it first," he said.

"I love what I do and I see it as an honour.

"I want to spend some time with the Royal Navy first who have been so supportive and then I will need to draw up a list of the pros and cons of going for a fourth gold.

"It is a huge commitment and very intense so I need some time to think about it first."