Big Interview: meet the real Dame Katherine Grainger
Some sports officials are masters of pedantry and give the impression they are happier in an ivory tower than confronting the present, let alone the future.
Then there are the trailblazers, who not only embrace change, but encourage and energise it with a mustard-keen relish.
It never takes long to discern in which camp Dame Katherine Grainger belongs. As the former Olympic rowing champion, who endured frustration at three successive Games with a trio of silvers before gloriously surging to gold in London in 2012, this is an individual with a wonderful pride in sport and the benefits it can bring.
I recall her in Sydney in 2000, looking slightly desolate after finishing second, but accentuating the positives in the realisation there would be other opportunities.
But then, the same scenario unfolded in Athens and Beijing and the clock was ticking down: was Kath destined to come so near and yet so far from the prize she coveted?
Patience, positivity and passion
Not a word of it. And that fabulous Olympic fortnight, followed by the open-top bus tours and the unveiling of her golden postbox in Aberdeen brought home the reality that she had reached her Holy Grail and achieved the stuff of which dreams are made.
Hanging up her oars didn’t signal the end of her journey. Far from it. Kath is now in her second term as chairwoman of UK Sport, she is the Chancellor of Glasgow University – the first female to hold that position. And, next week, she will return to the north-east she knows so well from hours practicing on rivers in often freezing-cold conditions, to launch the new salmon fishing season on the Dee.
It’s a rare chance for her to revisit her old haunts and the 47-year-old admits these type of sojourns don’t happen often enough in her busy schedule. But she is very excited at the prospect, partly because “it’s a massive honour to be asked and partly because I don’t get back to Deeside as much I’d like to.”
She added: “I was asked to open the fishing season back in 2020 and then sadly the pandemic put all plans on hold for a long time, so it feels great to finally be able to make this trip.”
Having known Kath for 20 years, her enthusiasm shines through in her conversation. She doesn’t pretend to have all the answers in an often turbulent sporting world, but approaches everything with a forensic determination to do the best she possibly can.
And, in common with many other people, she’s excited at the thought of the pandemic’s impact finally diminishing, and games without frontiers being staged once again.
It is starting to feel more ‘normal’
She said: “It certainly feels as if we are moving out of Covid being such a major focus in our lives and, hopefully, the main restrictions are behind us. It’s been such a challenging time in so many ways for so many people.
“The past few months have felt much more ’normal’ and it has been really great to be back seeing people and events in person. Sport definitely missed the buzz and emotion of live spectators so It all feels more special again.
“Of course, sport is not shielded from the difficulties facing all parts of society so the cost of living and inflation in prices are all creating problems. But I am an optimist by nature and can always see the important, relevant and beneficial role that sport can play in people’s lives. And with the Paris Olympics and Paralympics coming up next year, we have plenty to get excited about.”
A crime fiction fan
Kath isn’t a sports obsessive, though. She has plenty of other interests, not least with grisly crimes, pathology and Scandi noir, even if bingeing the box sets hasn’t helped her master the language spoken by Sophie Grabol’s jumper-clad detective Sarah Lund.
She said: “I still have a very healthy interest in all things crime. I studied law and criminal law to Phd level at three different universities, so for a long time, I had an academic interest, but I also love to indulge in crime fiction and TV/film series.
“In the build-up to the London Olympics, there was increasing pressure, and in the middle of all the training and intensity, some of my favourite memories are of Anna Watkins and myself lost in binge-watching sessions of The Killing to take our minds off our races. It turned out to be a fantastic diversion but, disappointingly, despite the hours of viewing, it didn’t help us to be fluent in Danish.
“I still read and watch crime now as a means of relaxation, and I also love the theatre. I really missed live theatre during the lockdown years. Like sporting events, there is something special about live events and that shared human experience.
“As a family, we were often taken to the theatre when growing up and that love of the stage (watching it, not appearing on it) has never left me. Meanwhile, I still have a saxophone sitting in my cupboard that was to be my next instrument to play after my school level clarinet….it really is time to dust that off and give it a go!”
‘It felt like a moment in history’
Kath spends significant time in meetings, charting pathways and plans for the next generation. Yet she’s in her element supporting teams and individuals from across the world, who put 100% into their efforts and display their desire to succeed.
She feels privileged she has attended so many huge moments which have enthralled the world in the last year, but there’s nothing parochial about her attitudes.
Yes, she wants the home nations to flourish, but it isn’t the be-all and end-all in her life.
She said: “I was at Wembley for the Lionesses final and it really felt like a moment in history. Seeing a full capacity stadium rise in one voice to support women’s football was very special. I was also in Auckland for the final of the women’s rugby union world cup final and it was incredible to see New Zealand have their own equivalent moment when their Black Ferns won in front of a deafening Eden Park, breaking all records.
“I was also at the historic Rugby League World Cup finals when, for the first time ever, the women’s, men’s and wheelchair events were run together. All of these incredible sporting moments had a huge positive impact in their own way on their communities.
“It’s always special to have a British multi-sport event, so it was great to see the Commonwealth Games back in Britain when Birmingham hosted it last year.
“There were so many magical days there, not least Eilish McColgan winning and then the famous embrace with her mum [Liz], such an emotional and poignant moment.
“And there was [Aberdeen Paralympian] Neil Fachie adding to his impressive haul as he won Scotland’s first gold medal of the Games. At the moment, I am struggling to get work done because I keep being drawn into the Australian Open [in Melbourne].
Andy Murray soaks up the pain
“Even over the opening early rounds, the matches have been astonishing. Andy Murray played some truly mesmerising tennis, recording some of the longest matches and latest finishes and often against the odds. What I love from Andy is how much he just adores being on the court, in the thick of the battle and soaking up every painful moment.”
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR KATHERINE GRAINGER
1)What book are you reading? “Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith. I am a big JK Rowling fan and her Cormoran Strike series fits into my crime novel love.”
2)Who’s your hero/heroine? “My mum.”
3)Do you speak any foreign languages? “I learned French and German at school, and really enjoyed languages. I picked up a little bit of Italian and Spanish when we trained abroad but it was very basic and low level.”
4)What’s your favourite band/music? “I still love all the great Scottish bands I adored when growing up: Texas, Deacon Blue, Simple Minds, the Proclaimers. The most recent live music I’ve heard has actually been at a couple of Burns Nights I’ve attended so right now, I am loving ceilidh music.”
5)What’s your most treasured possession? “When I won my Olympic gold medal, my Mum and Dad gave me a really beautiful watch, engraved with the Olympic symbol and the date of my race. It’s precious to me for lots of reasons and lots of memories.”
