Katherine Grainger

Private Passions

In a special edition to mark International Women's Day next week, Michael Berkeley talks to Britain's most decorated female Olympic athlete, the rower Dame Katherine Grainger.

Katherine won a silver medal in Rio in 2016 - at the age of 40. It was her fifth medal from five consecutive Olympic Games, including a gold in the double sculls at London 2012. On her return from Rio, she was voted the Olympians' Olympian by her fellow Team GB athletes. The holder of six World Champion titles, she has an MBE and a CBE, was made a dame in 2017 New Year's Honours list, and, since last summer, has been the Chair of UK Sport.

On top of her huge sporting achievements, Katherine has a PhD in Criminal Law and is Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University.

Katherine tells Michael how music has helped her to cope with the pressure of competing at the highest level, and how music has been an important part of her life since her Scottish childhood. She chooses a Mozart aria to remind her of her grandparents in Aberdeen, and Rachmaninov for her rowing partner Cath Bishop, who is a talented pianist.

In celebration of International Women's Day, all but one of her choices - which include Elgar, Chopin and Bach - are performed or conducted by female musicians.

Producer: Jane Greenwood A Loftus production for BBC Radio 3.