Rower won three Olympic golds

Succumbs after six-year battle with cancer

Olympic and world champion rower Kathleen Heddle died at her Vancouver home on Monday after a six-year battle with cancer of the breast, lymph nodes and brain. She was 55.

Heddle and partner Marnie McBean won gold medals in coxless pair at the 1992 Olympics and double sculls at the 1996 Games. Both were also members of the gold-medal winning Canadian eights in 1992 and took bronze medals in the coxless quads in 1996.

McBean posted on Twitter: “Kathleen Heddle 19652021. 3x Olympic Champion + + + Greatest of All Time I am crushed and without words today at this loss. Too soon.”

Heddle was born in Trail, B.C. and grew up in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver. She attended the University of British Columbia, where she earned a Bachelor's in psychology and later, an honourary doctorate of laws. She learned to row with the Burnaby Lake Rowing Club.

“As an Olympic and World Champion who touched perfection, Kathleen never sought the spotlight,” Rowing

I AM CRUSHED AND WITHOUT WORDS TODAY AT THIS LOSS. TOO SOON.

Canada said in a memorial posted on its website Wednesday. “A pure athlete, a role model by actions and demeanour. She was revered by teammates, coaches, opponents, and those who knew her best. She was quintessentially Canadian.”

Following her retirement from the national team, Heddle served as a member of the FISA athletes commission and continued to row with the “Old Gold” crew, who won the Head of the Charles Regatta in 2019.

Heddle is survived by her husband Mike and children Lyndsey and Mac. A celebration of Heddle's life will be held at a later date, according to Rowing Canada.

Kathleen Heddle