Learning from the best of British – Katherine Grainger

Taking up rowing was by accident. The Olympics was not even a thought, even after she won a World Rowing Championship medal. Now she is Britain’s most successful Olympic female rower.

Number seven on the list of the best for 2005, Katherine Grainger is strong, knows about her ruthless side, loves racing and sports an infectious smile that leaves you unsuspecting of her racing determination.

“My first introduction to rowing was my neighbour showing off his blisters.” Curiosity took the young Grainger to the local club to give it a go. “I went out in a four, twice with my sister. It was fine but it didn’t grab me. But the coach saw potential,” says Grainger, “in my sister.”

Grainger dabbled in a number of sports as a teenager with karate being her main focus. She earned a black belt and had every intention of carrying on in the sport when she went to Scotland’s Edinburgh University. During the “freshers fairs” someone from the rowing club came over to ask if she wanted to row, Grainger easily answered “no”.

“I didn’t go to university to row – I went to get a degree.”

“But she flattered me. She talked me into coming to the first meeting.” About 60 women turned up and were told the club only wanted about 15. Grainger’s competitive spirit kicked in. She made it through.

“I thought I’d quit because it would take up too much time.” But Grainger says the friendships grew. “I kept going.”

Grainger got a taste of international competition when she helped out as a medal holder at the 1996 World Rowing Championships in Strathclyde, Scotland.

“Anita De Frantz (FISA’s vice president) was giving out the medals and we chatted. She said to me, ‘one day I’ll be giving one (a medal) to you.’ A year later she gave it to me.”

Four years after starting at Edinburgh University, Grainger had a law degree and was on the British team. “Even then I never thought about the Olympics.”

Grainger said her rapid rise to success comes down to luck. “At the beginning I had no pressure. I loved the people I was with. My coach (Hamish Burrell) saw my potential and handled me well. He was encouraging and positive and he took me step-by-step.”

Grainger not only rose rapidly in the sport, but also her international start began with a bang. Winning the pair at the Under-23 Regatta, Grainger and her partner, Francesca Zino, also set a new record for the event. She then joined up with the senior women’s eight and finished with bronze – the first women’s eight ever to win a medal at the World Rowing Championships.

“Then I learnt about the hard years to follow.”

Grainger’s next success didn’t come until 2000 when she raced to silver in the women’s quad at Sydney.

Continuing after Sydney, Grainger joined Cath Bishop in the pair and won World Championship gold in 2003 continuing together the pair took silver at Athens. With Bishop’s retirement Grainger moved back to the quad and last year she polished her medal cabinet off with World Championship gold.

Throughout her rowing career Grainger has continued to study. She now has a master’s degree in medical law and has moved on to her current PhD study in homicide and psychopathy.
 
Linking her study to rowing, Grainger says there are strains of psychopathy, when looking at the definition, with similarities in characteristics to that of an athlete. “We’ve all got strains of ruthlessness. These strains (of psychopathy) are also seen in incredibly successful businessmen.”

With all the success that Grainger has had in rowing she says there is still a lot that she wants to achieve in the sport. “But,” she clarifies, “I won’t do it if I can’t enjoy it.”

Grainger will be staying in the stroke seat of her quad with their sights set on this year’s World Rowing Championships in Eton. “Yes at Eton there’ll be a bit more pressure on us. But we put most of the pressure on ourselves as defending champions and in front of a home crowd.”

“And,” Grainger adds with a smile, “I absolutely love racing.”

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