OF John Peake (1931-38) played an important part in both of the London Olympic Games. In 1948, John became the youngest member of the GB hockey team at London’s “austerity Olympics”.
Despite only training together a few times, the GB team won the silver medal behind India, then considered unbeatable. In recognition of his achievements, John was
nominated as torchbearer for the Peterborough leg of the torch relay, one of the oldest Olympians to take part at 87. John has now donated his Olympic torch to St Faith’s – in thanks for the way that his teachers “nurtured my love of sport in the early years”.
After St Faith’s, John won a Scholarship to Repton School and then read Mechanical Engineering at Clare College, Cambridge, before joining the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors. He became MD, then Chairman of Baker Perkins in Peterborough, where he worked for 35 years. In 1986 John was awarded a CBE for services to industry.
