Glasgow Caledonian Honorary Degree

THE Scots rower received her degree at Glasgow Caledonian University and said: “It’s always great to come back home.”

SCOTS Olympic Gold medalist Katherine Grainger has continued an “amazing” year by collecting an honorary degree in her home city.

© Tony Nicoletti Daily Record

The rower received an honorary doctorate from Glasgow Caledonian University for her contribution to sport and to honour her public service and charity work. An honorary degree was also awarded to the model and actress Lily Cole.

Katherine, 37, said: “Its amazing, I’ve had such a lovely time. I’m from Glasgow anyway, it’s always great to come back home and it’s such a privilege to get an honorary degree.

“It is not something you would expect and from my point of view as an athlete it is not something you can train for, it is just something that is given to you and you don’t really see it coming so it is really lovely to come back and get it.

“Last summer at the Olympics it was better than I could ever have hoped, after 15 years of hoping for that moment, it was just better than I could have ever have dreamt, absolutely genuinely wonderful.

“But honestly everyday since has been amazing. Because of the home Olympics, everyone in Britain seemed to love it, so everywhere I go I get to talk about it and share it, so it has kind of got enhanced as the months have gone by. It is lovely.”

After a busy year Grainger is yet to decide whether she will compete in the Rio 2016 Olympics.

“I am not competing this year for the British rowing team,” she said.

“Part of that was to make a decision and get a bit of perspective. But it has been so busy, I haven’t had time to start contemplating my life. So there is a big decision coming and I need to make it by September, but I’m not there yet.”