Dame Katherine Grainger DBE

Katherine Grainger'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 MRIA PRSE FMedSci - President, The Royal Society of Edinburgh

Katherine is an iconic figure in the world of rowing. Her continual success for more than a decade elevates Katherine into a class of her own. She exemplifies a rare combination of athletic ability and determination to succeed that can only be seen in great champions.

Sir Steve Redgrave

Katherine gave an entertaining, inspiring and insightful presentation to our conference. She is an accomplished presenter and good conversationalist and we received very positive feedback from our guests. It was generous of Katherine to pass her Olympic Gold medal around the audience and she was very happy to stay on after her presentation to talk to our clients and have pictures taken with them. She is easy to work with and I would not hesitate in recommending her.

Simon Hildrey, Head of Marketing and Communications at Liontrust

I never thought I'd see a room full of hundreds of hardened conference attendees so near to tears - which I did when Katherine Grainger talked fluently and inspiringly about the choices and decisions she made on the way to that incredible gold at the London Olympics.

Jane Frost, Chief Executive, Market Research Society

The feedback from our 120-strong audience on the night was unanimous saying that Katherine was simply superb and fantastic (if indeed those two adjectives go together?). Her wonderful story was told so well, and of course it was so fresh in everyone's minds; the Olympic feel good factor was resurrected again and was riding high in the room. It was an absolute pleasure to meet with Katherine and what made the night even more special was the way Katherine stayed on after the event talking with and having photos taken with so many of our people.

Denis Kirby Director of Corporate Communications, Scotia Gas

Katherine, the feedback has been exceptional; to the man (and women) people have been complimenting, your style, your content, your willingness to share and be open. Not many people could come into a professional rugby club, hold an audience, post-six nations and hold the attention of young fidgety men.

David Priestley, Head of Psychology and Personal Development, Saracens R.F.C

I would like to thank you once again for addressing our members and guests in Brussels on Monday. On a personal level, I greatly enjoyed getting an insight into your career as a rower and learning of your phenomenal courage and determination in that ultimate quest towards Olympic Gold.

Looking around the room at all the smiling, captivated faces and listening to the many questions from the audience, which could have gone on the rest of the evening, I have no doubt that everyone found you to be not only a great champion but also a wonderful human being, truly compelling.

Your human adventure, your courage and perseverance over the years is a great example for all of us. But most of all, your passion and experience are a source of light and optimism in these times of crisis.

Christian Verschueren, Director – General, EuroCommerce

With the annual Oxbridge Boat Race, Torpids and Summer Eights rowing competitions taking over much of our lives, Katherine was welcomed with open arms to the Oxford Union by enthusiasts and casual observers alike. She was similarly open in return: warm, witty, honest and hugely engaging throughout. Her drive and determination also shone through when she spoke of her academic work, with all audience members finding something to relate to. Katherine was very generous with her audience, and everyone was delighted to find out just how heavy her medal actually was!
By the end of the talk, you were hard pressed to find someone not tempted by the allure of lycra kit and an open river.

Rajiv Dattani, Oxford Union