Katherine Maitland

Club OUWBC

Year of Birth 1995

Hometown Windsor

Nationality British

College St Hughs

Undergrad/Graduate Undergraduate

Year 2nd

What are you studying? Medicine (Graduate Entry)

What is the most interesting part of your course? Do you have any professional or academic plans after? Getting to meet patients and hear their stories, it’s always such a privilege and very humbling. After I graduate I’ll start work as a doctor. I’m not sure what kind though.

How do you balance rowing and academic life? Thanks to the help of lots of supportive teammates, course-mates and tutors. And then being disciplined with time and making a plan for what needs to get done.

When did you start rowing, and why? I started in 2008 after a friend two years above me tried out and I decided I wanted to do it too. My mum signed me up to the local team to learn to row, and I made my best friend come along with me because I was terrified. In the end I loved it, and it wasn’t for her.

What was your first club? Eton Excelsior Rowing Club.

What is your favourite part of rowing for Oxford? The team, they brighten my morning every day and make the early starts worth it. Everyone does their part to make OUW fun and welcoming, whether it’s Georgie’s delicious brownies, or Martha’s excellent music selection on the minibus, or Kaitlyn (President) checking in and making sure I’m doing OK.

What’s your rowing history, and what has been your biggest achievement so far? Its definitely hard to pick just one achievement, and there have definitely been some memorable race wins over the years. I think my biggest achievement, or the thing that makes me the most proud has been seeing how far I’ve come from the 12 year old who couldn’t run the length of my boat club drive, to rowing at Leander Club, winning Henley Women’s regatta, and getting to stroke the Blue Boat. It’s really a testament to the coaches who have invested time and energy in my development, and my teammates from whom I have learnt so much.

Have you raced in the Boat Race before? If yes, when? I nearly raced in 2020 - I was selected for the Blue boat but the race was cancelled.

Your favourite race so far? My favorite race for OUW was racing Nereus last year. That’s probably when I started to get really excited for the Boat Race as the crew really came together and executed our plan.

Do you have any race day habits or superstitions? Actually none. I try and treat race day as if it were any normal training day, or maybe I treat every day as if it were race day. All we are going out to do is execute a plan we have rehearsed day in, day out since September.

Your sporting idol? Serena Williams.

If you could have any sportsperson in your crew, who would it be? I’d love to get in a boat with Helen Glover, or even better, experience rowing with both Helen Glover and Heather Stanning - their pair was amazing.

What gets you through a tough session? Do you have a mantra, rituals? I try to remember what we are training for, that it’s tough now but we are training to beat Cambridge on April 4th.

Any hobbies, other interests outside rowing? I took up embroidery during the first lockdown, and also love to settle into a good book when I have the time.

How do you motivate yourself and your teammates, especially with Covid restrictions? It’s been mostly through Zoom and our group chat since lock-down. But when we did get time on the water together we made sure there was plenty of laughter and fun being had whilst we were rowing and getting faster.