BIOGRAPHY
As the only female athlete – in any sport – to win medals in five consecutive Olympic Games, Dame Katherine Grainger is Britain’s most successful female rower as well as an inspiring keynote and motivational speaker. Through her work as a speaker, Katherine Grainger shares her experiences on a wide range of popular topics, from leadership and teamwork to overcoming adversity and taking risks.
Grainger won Olympic silver medals in 2000 (Sydney), 2004 (Athens), 2008 (Beijing), before realising her dreams and achieving gold in the double sculls at London 2012.
After taking time out to write her autobiography and complete a PhD in the sentencing of homicide at King’s College London, Katherine returned to the GB rowing squad in 2014. She and her partner Victoria Thornley went on to win silver in the double sculls (narrowly missing out on gold) – an amazing feat, especially as most had not expected the pair to even qualify. Katherine Grainger has also won six World Championship golds.
In addition to her work as a professional speaker, Katherine Grainger continues to comment on sport and rowing in the mainstream media. She was inaugurated as Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University in 2015 for a seven year term, before being made a Dame in the 2017 New Years Honours list for services to rowing and charity.
Katherine Grainger’s speaking career has seen her deliver talks for renowned brands, organisations and sports teams, having appeared at events held on behalf of BT, Coca-Cola, The Financial Times and The Sunday Times, as well as England’s women’s football team and Thomsons Online Benefits.
KATHERINE’S TALKS
Katherine Grainger is a speaker with an incredible ability to inspire audiences through engaging stories of sporting success at some of the most fiercely fought competitions in the world. When speaking, Katherine is well known for captivating all those in attendance with her wit, charm and emotional authenticity.
Her talks are designed to help audiences understand how the champion rower and sporting personality has exploited small advantages and opportunities to gain a competitive edge.
Described by Sir Steve Redgrave as “an iconic figure in the world of rowing,” Katherine’s story is one of sporting prowess combined with exceptional resilience and gritty determination. Her incredible achievements have afforded her unique insight into the world of competitive sport, amid an ongoing quest for peak performance.
A range of themes and topics show listeners how they too can develop the winning mindset that’s paved the way for success over the course of Katherine Grainger’s speaker career.
Katherine’s speaking topics have been designed to help audiences learn from her experiences, while motivating and engaging listeners with fantastic stories of an unforgettable sporting career. Choose from themes including dealing with pressure, overcoming adversity, leadership, teamwork, communication, risk taking and women in sport.
Testimonials
“Katherine was one of the very best speakers I have ever heard, friendly to all my people and our clients, genuinely interested in other people’s eyes, incredibly authentic. People were made to feel very special in the presence of a true sporting superstar. I was completely blown away by her, and that rarely happens believe me!
She has made people think about their lives completely differently and the memory of her words will resonate with me for a very long time” — Michael Whitfield, CEO Thomsons Online Benefits
“Katherine’s ability to engage and thrill both a young audience during the daytime and a wider public audience in the evening with her warm style and charisma was marvellous. Her willingness to spend time answering questions, having her photo taken and sharing her gold medal with the audiences was terrific.
Katherine is an excellent speaker, a true ambassador for sport and a role model – not just for young people but for all.” — Sir J P Arbuthnott, President, The Royal Society of Edinburgh