| Rank | Event | Year | Location | Result |
| World Championships | ||||
| 1 | Double Sculls | 2011 | Bled, SLO | 6:10.76 |
| 1 | Double Sculls | 2010 | Hamilton, NZL | 6:22.63 |
| World Cup | ||||
| 1 | Double Sculls | 2011 | Lucerne, SUI | 6:29.41 |
| 1 | Double Sculls | 2011 | Hamburg, GER | 6:15.10 |
| 2 | Double Sculls | 2012 | Munich, GER | 6:36.06 |
| 3 | Double Sculls | 2010 | Lucerne, SUI | 6:20.17 |
Nickname
T-Rex. (stuff.co.nz, 22 Sep 2011)
Hobbies
Swimming, cycling, photography. (rowingone.com, 04 Sep 2011, worldrowing.com, 01 Feb 2012)
Occupation
Student
Education
Waikato University, New Zealand
Language(s) spoken
English
Club name
Picton RC, New Zealand
Coach
Calvin Ferguson, Dale Maher, Dave Bugler, Gary Hay (rowingone.com, 04 Sep 2011)
Additional information
Start of sporting career
He began rowing at high school in 2001. (rowingone.com, 04 Sep 2011, worldrowing.com, 01 Feb 2012)
Reason for taking up this sport
An older student, who had noticed he was a promising athlete, told him he should start rowing. (worldrowing.com, 01 Feb 2012)
Training
"I get up at 6am and we're on the water by 7am doing 20km to 30km some days. We do weights twice a week and in the afternoon do a shorter row or erg." (worldrowing.com, 01 Feb 2012)
Most memorable sporting achievement
He is a double senior world champion, having won a gold medal in 2010 at Lake Karapiro, New Zealand, and successfully defending the title the following year in Slovenia. His victory with Nathan Cohen in 2011 saw the pair beat a German crew by just six hundredths of a second to secure victory. He also won three consecutive world titles at U-23 level from 2008 to 2010. (stuff.co.nz, 24 Dec 2011, scoop.co.nz, 13 Dec 2011)
Hero
Sir Edmund Hilary. (hudsonboatworks.com, 01 Oct 2009)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"First with the mind then with the heart." (hudsonboatworks.com, 01 Oct 2009)
Awards
He has been Marlborough Sportsman of the Year twice, winning in 2008 and 2011. (stuff.co.nz, 22 Nov 2011)
He was made a life member of Picton Rowing Club after his victory at the World Rowing Championships in 2010. (stuff.co.nz, 22, Nov 2011)
General
HEAVYWEIGHT
He describes himself as the smallest heavyweight rower in the world, but has never considered becoming a lightweight. He said, "I'm a bit stubborn. People have always told me I'm too small and I like to prove people wrong." (worldrowing.com, 01 Feb 2012)
SIZE DOESNT MATTER
His physical build has been an issue since he started rowing, with New Zealand selectors once telling him a particular victory had been a fluke. Once he reached elite level it was difficult to find another rower that was compatible with him, but that changed when he started competing with Nathan Cohen who is a similar size. Sullivan even believes being smaller than other rowers gives them a competitive advantage. "We row a bit shorter than most crews and we can rate a lot higher which is a benefit for us as we have the opportunity to change speed more quickly than other teams." (worldrowing.com, 01 Feb 2012, stuff.co.nz, 22 Sep 2011)
