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
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
Member of the House of Lords-designate
Designate
Assumed office TBD life peerage
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 (born 12 November 1975) is a Scottish athlete. She is famous for her amazing achievements in rowing. Katherine has won one Olympic gold medal and four Olympic silver medals for Great Britain. She is also a six-time World Champion.

Katherine was the Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University from 2015 to 2020. She is currently 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. In Athens in 2004, she won another silver medal in the coxless pairs. At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, she earned her third silver medal, again in the quadruple sculls.

At the London Olympics in 2012, Katherine and her partner Anna Watkins set an Olympic record. They went on to win the gold medal in the double sculls final. After taking a two-year break from rowing, Katherine won a silver medal at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 with Victoria Thornley. She also won eight medals at the World Championships between 1997 and 2011.

Katherine's 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 very well-educated. She earned a law degree (Bachelor of Laws) from the University of Edinburgh. She also has a Master of Philosophy degree from the University of Glasgow. This degree focused on Medical Law and Medical Ethics. Later, she completed her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in law at King's College London. In July 2013, King's College made Katherine a fellow.

Her Amazing Rowing Career

Katherine started rowing at the University of Edinburgh in 1993. She trained on the River Dee. She represented the St Andrew Boat Club and Marlow Rowing Club in different events.

Olympic Medals and Records

Katherine won her first Olympic silver medal in Sydney in 2000. She was part of the women's quadruple sculls team. In Athens in 2004, she won another silver medal. This time, it was in the coxless pairs with Cath Bishop.

She returned to the quadruple sculls for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. There, she won her third silver medal. On August 3, 2012, she achieved her dream of winning an Olympic gold medal. This was at the London Olympics in the double sculls with Anna Watkins. At the 2016 Olympics, she won a silver medal in double sculls with Vicky Thornley.

World Championship Success

Katherine has won eight medals at the World Championships. Her first was a bronze in 1997 in the eight-person boat. She won gold with Cath Bishop in 2003. In 2005, she won gold again with the quadruple scull team.

Another gold medal came in 2006. Her quadruple scull team was given the gold after a winning Russian team failed a drug test. In 2007, she won another gold in the quadruple sculls.

In 2009, Katherine switched to the single scull. She won a surprise silver medal at the World Championships in Poland. In 2010, she teamed up with Anna Watkins in the double sculls. They had an amazing season, winning the World Championships in New Zealand. They defended their title in 2011 in Slovenia.

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

Other Rowing Achievements

On March 14, 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. After she retired from competitive rowing, Katherine still raced. She often took part in the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. In 2019, her team of former Olympians placed first in their event.

Leadership and Charity Work

Katherine Grainger has taken on important leadership roles. In April 2017, she became the chair of UK Sport. She was reappointed for a second term on July 1, 2021. In March 2015, she was appointed the fourth Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University.

On November 28, 2024, it was announced that Katherine will become the new chair of the British Olympic Association (BOA) in 2025. She will be the first woman to hold this position since the BOA started in 1905.

Katherine also helps many charities. She is a board member for the Youth Sport Trust. She is also on the British Olympic Association's Athlete Commission. She supports Netball Scotland, Winning Scotland, the NCI, and Aberlour children's charity.

She was also a board member for International Inspiration from 2012 to 2017. This charity helped families around the world get involved in sports and physical activity.

House of Lords Role

On June 17, 2025, it was announced that Katherine would be given a life peerage. This means she will become a member of the House of Lords. She will sit as a crossbencher, meaning she won't belong to a specific political party.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Katherine Grainger has received many honors for her achievements. She was elected President of the Edinburgh University Boat Club in 1996/97. She also won the Edinburgh University Sports Union's Eva Bailey Cup twice. This award is for the university's most outstanding female athlete. She was added to the University's Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.

In November 2005, she became the honorary president of the Scottish Amateur Rowing Association. In 2008, she became a steward of Henley Royal Regatta. She was only the third rower to be chosen for this while still competing.

Katherine has received several royal honors:

• She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2006.
• She became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013 for her services to rowing.
• She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2017 for her services to sport and charity.

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

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

In March 2013, she became a patron of the National Coastwatch Institution. In June 2017, the University of Aberdeen gave Katherine an honorary doctorate.

In July 2017, it was announced that the trophy for the Senior Women's competition at the Home International Regatta would be named the Dame Katherine Grainger Quaich. Scotland was the first team to win this trophy.

In 2020, she was appointed as the Chancellor of the University of Glasgow. She is the first woman to hold this important office at the university, which was founded in 1451. In January 2024, she was appointed an Honorary Colonel of the 215 (Scottish) Multirole Medical Regiment, Army Reserve.

See also

In Spanish: Katherine Grainger para niños