The story of how Katherine Grainger was inspired to become an Olympic rower. Katherine recalls key events and experiences from childhood that made her the athlete and person she is today. For Katherine, becoming a champion rower hasn’t been easy. She wasn’t the best at rowing when she started; in fact she was the worst. At times, the effort required to do well felt almost too hard, and she nearly gave up after the setback of failing to be selected. But with a strong spirit, and a determination to succeed, she decided instead to turn things around – to try harder, work harder and do better. And she did!

Katherine explains what the different types of rowing are, what the particular strengths are, physically and mentally, that you need to become accomplished in the field. She also describes how it feels to simply do your best. Her message to children is “you have no idea what you are capable of – so find out. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. You can do far more than you realise.”

Watch BBC2’s Olympic Spark programme here.