First Impressions: KATHERINE GRAINGER
What are you working on?
I’m now a doctor. It’s been a long time in the making, so I’m very happy.
When are you at your happiest?
I love being by the sea, with a glass of wine in my hand.
What is your greatest fear?
Boredom.
What is your earliest memory?
Being at home, Mum in the kitchen, with me tugging at her trouser leg. My big sister had just gone off to school. We were close and I couldn’t understand why she wasn’t there any more.
Who has been your greatest influence?
I was really, really close to my gran. Sadly she passed away a few years ago. She spoilt me and my sister rotten. She was beautiful in every way.
What do you most dislike about yourself?
I’m indecisive. I agonise over things for too long.
What is your most treasured possession?
I did karate at school, and I went from white belt to black belt, the first pupil to do so. I went to see the coach to thank him for all his support and he gave me his first-ever black belt.
What trait do you deplore in others?
Prejudice: it leads to injustice. And I hate bullying.
Do you have a fantasy address?
An apartment in New York – it’s so romantic in all the great films!
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I have really big feet. I don’t overly dislike them because they’ve been very useful in my career, but I’m very aware of them.
Katherine loves ET, Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, The Killing and the film The Third Man
What is your all-time favourite book?
That’s impossible, I’m such a fan of books. My mum’s an English teacher and I grew up with books.
Your favourite film?
One of the first grown-up films I watched was The Third Man. It’s a classic.
Your favourite music?
On the morning of the Olympic final, I set my alarm to wake up to Whitney Houston’s One Moment In Time.
Your favourite meal?
Christmas dinner, with all the trimmings.
Who would you most like to come to dinner?
Eddie Izzard, Danny Boyle – I’d like to chat to him about his job at the Olympics opening ceremony – and Elton John. To have him playing in the background would be very nice.
Which historical character do you most admire?
Grace Darling, the lighthouse keeper’s daughter who rescued shipwrecked sailors in 1838 and had the ‘anything is possible’ attitude.
What is the nastiest thing anyone has ever said to you?
Nothing said, but at primary school, the choir mistress allowed everyone in my year to be in the choir, except me and one other girl. I have been self-conscious about my singing ever since.
Do you believe in aliens?
An astronaut I met recently told me we may never know what’s going on out there. I’d like to think that any ‘little green men’ are like ET – we’d all love an ET in our lives.
What is your secret vice?
In training camp, we locked ourselves away, brought out some Maltesers and watched the whole of The Killing.
Do you write thank-you notes?
I do. It’s one of the greatest things you can teach children.
Which phrase do you most overuse?
At the moment, it’s ‘Yeah, I can do that’.
What would improve the quality of your life?
The ability to stop time. I’d catch up on things, get everything in shape and sort out my house. What would you like your epitaph to read? ‘She has had the time of her life.’
Dreams Do Come True, by Katherine Grainger (Andre Deutsch, £20). WIN We have five copies to give away. For a chance to win one click here.
I’m now a doctor. It’s been a long time in the making, so I’m very happy.
When are you at your happiest?
I love being by the sea, with a glass of wine in my hand.
What is your greatest fear?
Boredom.
What is your earliest memory?
Being at home, Mum in the kitchen, with me tugging at her trouser leg. My big sister had just gone off to school. We were close and I couldn’t understand why she wasn’t there any more.
Who has been your greatest influence?
I was really, really close to my gran. Sadly she passed away a few years ago. She spoilt me and my sister rotten. She was beautiful in every way.
What do you most dislike about yourself?
I’m indecisive. I agonise over things for too long.
What is your most treasured possession?
I did karate at school, and I went from white belt to black belt, the first pupil to do so. I went to see the coach to thank him for all his support and he gave me his first-ever black belt.
What trait do you deplore in others?
Prejudice: it leads to injustice. And I hate bullying.
Do you have a fantasy address?
An apartment in New York – it’s so romantic in all the great films!
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I have really big feet. I don’t overly dislike them because they’ve been very useful in my career, but I’m very aware of them.
Katherine loves ET, Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, The Killing and the film The Third ManWhat is your all-time favourite book?
That’s impossible, I’m such a fan of books. My mum’s an English teacher and I grew up with books.
Your favourite film?
One of the first grown-up films I watched was The Third Man. It’s a classic.
Your favourite music?
On the morning of the Olympic final, I set my alarm to wake up to Whitney Houston’s One Moment In Time.
Your favourite meal?
Christmas dinner, with all the trimmings.
Who would you most like to come to dinner?
Eddie Izzard, Danny Boyle – I’d like to chat to him about his job at the Olympics opening ceremony – and Elton John. To have him playing in the background would be very nice.
Which historical character do you most admire?
Grace Darling, the lighthouse keeper’s daughter who rescued shipwrecked sailors in 1838 and had the ‘anything is possible’ attitude.
What is the nastiest thing anyone has ever said to you?
Nothing said, but at primary school, the choir mistress allowed everyone in my year to be in the choir, except me and one other girl. I have been self-conscious about my singing ever since.
Do you believe in aliens?
An astronaut I met recently told me we may never know what’s going on out there. I’d like to think that any ‘little green men’ are like ET – we’d all love an ET in our lives.
What is your secret vice?
In training camp, we locked ourselves away, brought out some Maltesers and watched the whole of The Killing.
Do you write thank-you notes?
I do. It’s one of the greatest things you can teach children.
Which phrase do you most overuse?
At the moment, it’s ‘Yeah, I can do that’.
What would improve the quality of your life?
The ability to stop time. I’d catch up on things, get everything in shape and sort out my house. What would you like your epitaph to read? ‘She has had the time of her life.’
Dreams Do Come True, by Katherine Grainger (Andre Deutsch, £20). WIN We have five copies to give away. For a chance to win one click here.