Rower Karen faces fridge on troubled water
An Olympic medal rarely comes without overcoming a few obstacles. Unlike Karen Bennett, a floating fridge or shopping trolley aren’t often among them.
The Edinburgh rower was part of the first British women’s eight to win an Olympic medal with silver in Rio.
Two years on she’s set for a homecoming at Strathclyde Park, knowing the European Championships will be one of her sport’s rare forays into the spotlight besides the annual Boat Race.
And although a big fan of the OxfordCambridge rivalry and the attention it generates, Bennett is determined to drown out the idea it’s an elitist sport.
Her experience couldn’t be further from the old stereotype.
The 29-year- old said: “I don’t want people to just think, ‘Oh rowing, that’s not for me, only posh people can do it’.
“I’m not from a rich background – I lived in a normal house and went to a normal school. I started at Strathclyde Park then went to Clydesdale in Glasgow on the River Clyde.
“On the Clyde, watching a fridge float past when you’re on the water, it’s not what the stereotypical rower is.
“After a lot of rainfall the flow gets faster and all the rubbish – like shopping trolleys – gets washed into the river. You just paddle past and try not to hit it.
“My journey hasn’t been in any way rich or posh. I guess I’m trying to get rid of that stereotype and make it easily accessible so anybody can enjoy it.”
The Glasgow 2018 ambassador took her f irst strokes on the water at Strathclyde Park as an 18-year-old.
Now she’s hoping to repeat her success from Germany two years ago.
She said: “In 2016 I won the European Championships in the eight so I’d love to go back out there and do the same.”