BENNETT Karen

Date of Birth: 5 Feb 1989

Age: 32

Gender: Female

Height (m/ft): 1.79/5'10''

Place of birth: PERTH, WA

Birth Country:

Australia

Place of residence : LONDON

Residence Country:

Great Britain

Events and Medals
Records
Schedule
Bio
General Interest
Milestones

Events and Medals

Discipline	Event	Rank	Medal
Rowing	Women's Four GBR Great Britain	4

Schedule

Start Time	Location	Event	Status
	Sea Forest Waterway	Women's Four Heat 1 #43	Finished
	Sea Forest Waterway	Women's Four Repechage 1 #75	Finished
	Sea Forest Waterway	Women's Four Final A #101	Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

Olympic Games

Year	Location	8+
2016	Rio de Janeiro, BRA	2

World Championships

Year	Location	4-	8+
2019	Linz, AUT	-	5
2018	Plovdiv, BUL	-	6
2017	Sarasota, FL, USA	-	5
2015	Aiguebelette-le-Lac, FRA	2	-

European Championships

Year	Location	2-	4-	8+
2021	Varese, ITA	-	3	-
2019	Lucerne, SUI	-	-	2
2018	Glasgow, GBR	-	-	2
2017	Racice, CZE	3	-	-

Rank	Event	Year	Location	Result
1	Pair	2017	Belgrade, SRB	7:11.29
2	Four	2018	Linz, AUT	6:32.47
2	Eight	2018	Belgrade, SRB	6:11.13
2	Eight	2017	Poznan, POL	6:02.31
3	Eight	2019	Poznan, POL	6:32.04
4	Four	2018	Belgrade, SRB	6:30.37
4	Pair	2017	Lucerne, SUI	7:16.25
5	Eight	2019	Rotterdam, NED	6:50.53

Legend
DNF - Did Not Finish, DNS - Did Not Start, EXC - Excluded

Playing golf. (henleystandard.co.uk, 04 Jul 2019)

Occupation:

Athlete, Motivational Speaker

Exercise Rehabilitation Studies - St Mary's University, London, GBR

Partner John Collins

Languages spoken:

Leander Club [Henley-on-Thames, GBR]

James Harris [national], GBR

Sporting relatives:

Her partner John Collins has represented Great Britain in rowing. He competed in double sculls at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and won bronze at the 2021 European Championships in Varese, Italy. (SportsDeskOnline, 03 Jun 2021; World Rowing Facebook page, 09 Apr 2020)

She took part in gymnastics, swimming, golf, basketball and hockey as a child before learning to row at age 18 at Heart of Scotland Boat Club in Edinburgh. "I hated it at first. It was freezing and I kept falling in and had to be fished out by the safety launch. I hated not being good at something, when I'd always been good at sport. What kept me going was the people I trained with whom I got on really well with." (henleystandard.co.uk, 04 Jul 2019; britishrowing.org, 01 Jul 2019; britishrowing.org, 22 May 2016; scottish-rowing.org.uk, 16 Apr 2018)

She switched to rowing after she heard an appeal from British rower Steve Redgrave on television in 2007, as part of the Sporting Giants talent identification campaign. She was later asked to join British Rowing's World Class Start programme. "I saw an ad inviting people with a sporting background to undergo tests to see if they were suitable for specialist training in rowing, volleyball or handball. I thought I would apply and was invited to a test event in Newcastle. When I heard back they suggested I try sprint canoeing or rowing. In my head I was the next big beach volleyball star so when they said rowing it wasn't the sport I had in mind." (henleystandard.co.uk, 04 Jul 2019; britishrowing.org, 01 Jul 2019; LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2019; pressreader.com, 26 Jun 2016)

To win gold at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (slowe.club, 28 Nov 2018)

Winning silver in the women's eight at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (henleystandard.co.uk, 04 Jul 2019)

Her parents and sister. (publicnow.com, 26 Apr 2016)

Philosophy:

"Do one thing every day that scares you." (Instagram profile, 28 Jul 2019)

General Interest

General
CAREER CROSSROADS
After graduating from St Mary's University in London, England, in 2013 and competing for the British U23 team, she says she was unsure whether to continue pursuing rowing or move into a healthcare career. "I was at that crossroads again. Did I get a job or continue rowing and do that full-time and see where I could go? I applied for a job in an NHS [National Health Service] rehabilitation unit but I didn't get it and was absolutely gutted. They said another job would come up but while I was waiting I was asked by a girl I used to row with if I'd like to coach at her school. I would be getting enough money to work part-time and focus on my training." (henleystandard.co.uk, 04 Jul 2019; LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2019)

REPRESENTING GREAT BRITAIN
She was born in Perth, WA, Australia, but grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland. Due to being born in Australia, she is eligible to compete for both Australia and Great Britain. "I've never thought of myself as anything other than eligible for Team GB." (britishrowing.org, 22 May 2016; pressreader.com, 26 Jun 2016)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
She also works as a motivational speaker and previously served as a rowing coach at Sir William Perkins's School in Chertsey, England. (LinkedIn profile, 15 Mar 2021)

Social Media

Legend

:: Gold Medal Event
:: Silver Medal Event
:: Bronze Medal Event

Timing and scoring provided by OMEGA. Results powered by Atos