[2] During his sporting career, he took part in over 65 ITU competitions, winning five medals and achieving thirty-one top ten finishes.

He qualified for the country's third and final spot at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing by winning the Oceania championships triathlon title in March of that same year.

He expected to reach a top ten finish with his teammates, but he was not able to maintain his pace after being exhausted from riding the bike.

Adding to his frustration at not being able to run his own race, Reed was narrowly beaten by his brother Matt, who finished strongly in thirty-second place.

[4][11] They resided in Palmerston North, where Reed was head coach at the Kiwi West Aquatics from July 2021 until his death.