Four-time Olympic medallist Kathleen Heddle passes

Heddle was one of Canada’s most successful rowers. Her Olympic medals are more remarkable as she accomplished the feat of four medals – three of them gold – at just two Olympic Games. Heddle’s first medals came at Barcelona in 1992 when she won gold in both the women’s pair and eight.

Heddle then went on to the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996 where she again doubled up on events, taking gold in the women’s double sculls and bronze in the women’s quadruple sculls. These medals were as part of her partnership with Marnie McBean with the two of them inspiring many Canadians to take up rowing.

Included in the Heddle’s medal collection were four World Championship titles. This success on the water as well as Heddle’s personality outside of the boat led to her being awarded World Rowing’s Thomas Keller Medal in 1999. This award is considered the most prestigious in rowing. Heddle was also a member of World Rowing’s Athlete’s Commission.

Heddle was known for her power and tenacity when racing and quiet nature outside of the boat. World Rowing’s Vice President, Canadian Tricia Smith was a friend of Heddle’s and in a statement said, “Kathleen was the greatest of Olympians in every sense of the word and a rock for all who knew her.”

“A proud Canadian of such depth of character, she approached everything she did with integrity and grace. Never seeking the limelight and always looking out for others, she represented the best of Olympic values.”

Heddle took up rowing as a student at the University of British Colombia. She was in her third year and had missed out on making the varsity volleyball team when a rowing coach spotted her.

“I was hooked right away,” Heddle described when she was inducted into the British Colombia Sports Hall of Fame. “I liked the balance between brute strength and power with finesse.”

One of Heddle’s first coaches at the University of British Colombia (UBC), Walter Martindale remembers his athlete.

“At one point in the spring of 1986 I took video (video was hard to get back then) and on watching it, decided to move Kathleen from 4 to stroke in the UBC novice women’s eight.  She gulped and said… “I’ll try.” The eight changed dramatically and had a new-found rhythm. After that row, I told her something along the lines of, “I am going out on a limb here, but what you’ve shown me in the boat has me thinking that, if you want it badly enough, and work hard, you can be the best in the world. 1988 might be too early but I think in 1992 there should be nothing stopping you.”

“They were still a novice crew, but in the summer of 1986 they came third in the Canadian Club Championships and second in the intermediate women’s eight at Canadian Henley, with Kathleen stroking.”

*Credit photo : Rowing Canada Aviron