EMILY CRAIG, 1992, United Kingdom
Women's lightweight double scull champion at the World Rowing Championships 2023
Olympic athlete in Tokyo 2020, gold medalist at the European Rowing Championships 2022.
What is the main trait of your character?
Stubbornness.
Has it influenced your sports career?
Yes, it has made me resist in hard times and keep striving to improve.
What virtue do you wish you had?
More patience, I always want everything to be done by yesterday.
A fun fact about you.
I make the best carrot cake in the world.
Do you have a motto for life?
Not really... I just try to always do the right thing.
Your second favorite sport.
Swimming. I find that swimming for a while is a great way to unwind.
Three athletes you admire.
Katherine Granger,Mark Hunter and Heather Stanning are the three rowers I have admired the most, not only for what they have achieved, but for the kind of people they are.
8. What is the sporting milestone you remember most?
Qualifying for Tokyo at the 2019 World Championships. It was a very emotional moment.
9. How did you become a fan of your sport?
My parents took me to the UK Indoor Rowing Championships when I was 12 years old. I decided I wanted to try rowing for real and went to my local club. It only took me three classes before I decided I wanted to row in the Olympics.
10. Who helped you the most to achieve your sports dream?
There are too many people who have given their all to get me to where I am to choose just one person.
11. Your greatest achievement?
Winning the World Championship for the second consecutive time this summer.
12. And your worst failure?
I think most people would consider fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics my worst failure, but as my teammate says: "you either win, or you learn". Since that final they haven't beaten us again, so rather than seeing it as a failure, I see it as an opportunity to learn and improve.
13. What has the sport taught you for life?
As much as I can make an effort.
14. How would you like fans to remember you?
As a role model.
15. What is the biggest challenge in your sport?
Get the technique right. It's like trying to draw a perfect circle. In theory it is very simple, but in practice it is almost impossible to get it perfect.
16. What is the most important aspect of all training?
Know what the goal of the training is, whether it is to get more power or endurance, or whether it is to focus on technique. Having a clear goal makes it easier to focus on it and makes the training session more rewarding.
17. Do you have any ritual or hobby before a competition?
I like to do word search puzzles before a regatta so I don't think about it.
18. What role has your education played in your sports career?
My education and my sporting career have not intersected much. I studied Art History and Far Eastern Art, and pursued my studies independently of rowing.
19. And what role has sport played in your education?
Rowing and studying at the same time has certainly made me very good at time management and organization.
20. A tip for the younger ones.
Balance is key. Work hard, but don't forget to have fun. Recovery and rest are just as important as pushing yourself or training.