MATTHEW PINSENT, 32, won his third Olympic gold medal in the final of the men’s coxless fours at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

The oarsman is now training seven days a week with James Cracknell for the coxless pairs at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. When time permits, he gives motivational talks and after-dinner speeches.

Matthew went to Eton College in Berkshire, then read geography at St Catherine’s College, Oxford, where he was president of the boat club. He represented the university in the Oxford and Cambridge boat race in l990 and l991, and was on the winning side both times.

In l992, at the age of 21, Matthew had his first Olympic success when he took gold at Barcelona in a coxless pair with Sir Steve Redgrave. The oarsmen won another gold four years later in Atlanta.

Matthew was awarded an MBE in l993 and a CBE in 2000. In October he married Demetra, a management consultant. The couple split their time between Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, and west London.

How much money do you have in your wallet?

About £30, which is for day-to-day items such as newspapers and snacks, but not supermarket shopping. I don’t take cash when I train at the Leander Club in Henley. They send me a bill every month. The food is subsidised, and I eat breakfast and lunch there every day.

Do you have any credit cards?

No, but I have a World Signia charge card from Coutts. The bills are paid automatically from my bank account at the end of the month. You get various benefits, such as free travel insurance and the use of executive airport lounges.

Another advantage of banking with Coutts is that I have a direct line to the person I deal with, and I only talk to that one person whenever I call. It drove me nuts when I was with a high-street bank, dealing with a different person every time I went in.

Are you a saver or spender?

For the past two or three years I have been spending because I have bought a flat, got married and splashed out on a new car.

I would like to be more of a saver. I was encouraged to save for the things I wanted to buy as a teenager. My parents would give me money to do odd jobs around the house.