Katherine Grainger facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dame Katherine Grainger
DBE

Grainger with her Olympic gold medal
Personal information
Birth name	Katherine Jane Grainger
Nationality	British
Born	(1975-11-12) 12 November 1975 (age 49) Glasgow, Scotland
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh (LLB) University of Glasgow (MPhil) King's College London (PhD)
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Chancellor of University of Glasgow
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 June 2020
Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University
In office 20 March 2015 – 15 June 2020
Vice Chancellor	Alistair Fitt
Preceded by	Shami Chakrabarti
Succeeded by	Paterson Joseph
Sport
Country	United Kingdom
Sport	Women's rowing
Event(s)	Double Sculls
College team	Edinburgh University Boat Club
Club	St Andrew Boat Club
Coached by	Paul Thompson
Medal record Representing  Great Britain Women's rowing Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 4 0 World Championships 6 1 1 European Championships 0 0 1 Total 7 5 2 Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Double sculls Silver 2000 Sydney Quadruple sculls Silver 2004 Athens Coxless pair Silver 2008 Beijing Quadruple sculls Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro Double sculls World Championships Gold 2003 Milan Coxless pair Gold 2005 Gifu Quadruple sculls Gold 2006 Eton Quadruple sculls Gold 2007 Munich Quadruple sculls Gold 2010 Karapiro Double sculls Gold 2011 Bled Double sculls Silver 2009 Poznań Single scull Bronze 1997 Aiguebelette Eight European Championships Bronze 2015 Poznan Double sculls

Dame Katherine Jane Grainger is a famous Scottish former rower. She was born on 12 November 1975. Katherine is known for winning many medals for Great Britain.

She won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She also won four silver medals at other Olympic Games. On top of that, she is a six-time World Champion in rowing.

After her amazing rowing career, Katherine became the Chair of UK Sport. She also served as the Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University and is now the Chancellor of the University of Glasgow.

Katherine first won a silver medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. This was in the women's quadruple sculls event. She continued to win silver medals in Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008).

Her biggest Olympic win was gold at the London Olympics with Anna Watkins. They even broke an Olympic record! She won another silver medal at the Rio Olympics after taking a break.

Early Life and Education

Katherine Grainger was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1975. She went to Mosshead Primary School. Later, she attended Bearsden Academy near Glasgow. Her family then moved to Netherley, Aberdeenshire.

Katherine is also very smart! She has several university degrees. She earned a law degree from the University of Edinburgh. She also has a Master's degree from the University of Glasgow. Later, she completed a PhD in law at King's College London.

In 2013, King's College London made her a special fellow. She said that her Olympic journey and her PhD studies finished around the same time in 2012.

Rowing Career

Katherine started rowing in 1993 at the University of Edinburgh. She rowed for clubs like St Andrew Boat Club. She often trained on the River Dee.

Olympic Medals

Katherine has an impressive collection of Olympic medals:

• 2000 Sydney Olympics: She won a silver medal in the women's quadruple sculls. She competed with Guin Batten, Gillian Lindsay, and Miriam Batten. They were beaten by the German team.
• 2004 Athens Olympics: She won another silver medal. This time, it was in the coxless pairs with Cath Bishop. They lost to a team from Romania.
• 2008 Beijing Olympics: She returned to the quadruple sculls. She won her third silver medal with Annabel Vernon, Debbie Flood, and Frances Houghton. They just missed out on gold to China.
• 2012 London Olympics: This was her golden moment! On 3 August 2012, she won an Olympic gold medal. She competed in the double sculls with Anna Watkins.
• 2016 Rio Olympics: After a break, she won a silver medal. She was in the double sculls with Vicky Thornley.

World Championships

Katherine has won eight medals at the World Championships. These events bring together the best rowers from around the globe.

• 1997: She won a bronze medal in the eight-person boat.
• 2003: She won a gold medal with Cath Bishop.
• 2005: Another gold in the quadruple scull with Frances Houghton, Sarah Winckless, and Rebecca Romero.
• 2006: Her quadruple scull team won gold again. This happened after the winning Russian team failed a drug test.
• 2007: She won gold in the quadruple sculls once more.
• 2009: She switched to the single scull boat. She won a surprise silver medal in Poland.
• 2010 & 2011: She teamed up with Anna Watkins in the double sculls. They had an unbeaten season in 2010. They won the World Championships in New Zealand. They defended their title in 2011 in Slovenia.

She also won the Rowing World Cup several times. She won in the quadruple sculls (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010) and double sculls (2010, 2011, 2012).

In 2015, Katherine was part of a team that won the Women's Eights Head of the River Race. This race is held on the River Thames in London.

Leadership Roles

After retiring from rowing, Katherine took on important leadership roles.

UK Sport

In April 2017, Katherine was chosen to be the chair of UK Sport. This organization helps develop sport in the United Kingdom. She was reappointed for a second term in 2021.

University Chancellor

In March 2015, Katherine became the fourth chancellor of Oxford Brookes University. A chancellor is like a ceremonial head of a university.

In 2020, she was appointed as the Chancellor of the University of Glasgow. She is the first woman to hold this important position at the university, which was founded in 1451.

British Olympic Association

In November 2024, it was announced that Katherine will become the new chair of the British Olympic Association (BOA) in 2025. She will be the first female chair of the BOA since it started in 1905.

Charity Work

Katherine is also involved in many charity activities. She is a board member for:

• The Youth Sport Trust
• The British Olympic Association's Athlete Commission
• She is also a Patron for Netball Scotland, Winning Scotland, the NCI, and Aberlour children's charity.

She used to be on the board of International Inspiration. This charity helped promote sports for children around the world.

In 2014, she helped judge an art exhibition called "Catching Dreams." This exhibition showed artwork made by prisoners and former offenders.

Honours and Awards

Katherine has received many honours for her achievements.

• She was elected President of the Edinburgh University Boat Club in 1996/97.
• She won the Eva Bailey Cup twice for being the most outstanding female athlete at Edinburgh University.
• In 2008, she was added to the University's Sports Hall of Fame.
• She became an honorary president of the Scottish Amateur Rowing Association in 2005.
• She was also made a steward of Henley Royal Regatta in 2008.

She has received special titles from the Queen:

• MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2006.
• CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2013 for her services to rowing.
• DBE (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2017 for her services to sport and charity. This title means she is now called "Dame Katherine."

A gold postbox in Aberdeen, Scotland, celebrating Katherine Grainger's 2012 Olympic gold medal.

In August 2012, a postbox in Aberdeen was painted gold. This was to celebrate her 2012 Olympic gold medal win.

In 2017, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Aberdeen. Also in 2017, a rowing trophy was named after her. It is called the Dame Katherine Grainger Quaich.

In 2024, she was appointed an Honorary Colonel of a special Army Reserve medical regiment.

See also

In Spanish: Katherine Grainger para niños