The Olympic gold-winning and two times World and European British champion rower – and doctor – on simplicity, the state of British rivers and the tension between facts and opinions
My morning ritual is …
… waking up around 6am, having a cup of coffee from my Aeropress and driving to a training session, before I head on to work for 9am. I’m a foundation year one doctor – my first year out of university. I’m just finishing up my first rotation on an endocrinology ward at the moment. I’m very lucky because I often get to see the sunrise. When it’s a good one, it’s a beautiful start to my day.
I feel optimistic about …
… our collective future. I care a lot about the environment. I’ve spent a large part of the last few years trying to improve awareness of how bad the state of our rivers is in the UK. I feel like we’re making some progress and that huge parts of society are willing to work together to hold water companies to account. There’s a long way to go but I’m optimistic we can improve our water quality in the UK.
What makes me angry
When people don’t want to listen to the facts. We’re in a world now where opinion is treated the same as a fact, and it makes me very angry when those things are given equal weight.
If I wasn’t a rower/doctor, I’d have liked to become …
… a cyclist. I love being outdoors and in nature, and pushing myself. Being on two wheels and going fast down a mountain has always been really fun. Emma Pooley and Lizzie Deignan are massive inspirations. Their careers have been incredible.
If it weren’t for medicine, I’d probably be in research in natural sciences or biology. I’m fascinated by human physiology. I think I’d find myself doing things that are quite similar to what I’m doing already.
The habit that has served me best in life is …
When I decide to do something, it’s no longer a choice for me. I do an awful lot during my day and people often ask me how I fit it in. Once I’ve decided I’m doing a training programme or studying for an exam, that decision has been made, and it’s up to me to figure out how I’m going to do it.
The habit I’ve successfully kicked is …
… chewing gum but I’m still working on it. It got to the point where I was having one piece at a time, then two pieces at a time, then three … I really need to stop.
Grant started work as a junior doctor less than a fortnight after winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Pictured above with Emily Craig. Image: Steve McArthur
My sources of joy are …
… sunrises and sunsets. Gardening and growing plants. Knitting. Spending time with my husband. Playing board games.
When things get tough I …
… try to knuckle down and work harder. I’m not very good at knowing when to stop.
The book I wish everyone would read is …
Pod by Laline Paull was a world-changing book for me. It was nominated for the Women’s prize for fiction in 2023. It really opened my eyes even further on the impact of plastic pollution in our oceans. It follows the lives of undersea creatures – dolphins, sharks and fish – as if they’re people in a changing underwater world. It’s amazing.
Most people can achieve more than they think, push themselves further than they believe, and do more incredible things than they can dream of
The big thing I’ve changed my mind about in life is …
… knowing when to stop and pull back. It can feel like you’re admitting defeat but, actually, if you’re able to have the self-confidence and take that rest or say ‘No’ to that engagement, you see the payoff in the long run.
What keeps me awake at night
Planning for the next day. My days are usually very busy and varied, so I often lie in bed planning hour-by-hour what I’m going to do and how I’m going to fit it all in. At the moment, that means a lot of thinking about my patients, about what tests or scans they might need, so I’m prepared and ready when I get into work.
The thing that motivates me most of all is …
Joy and being a good person are my two main drivers. I like doing things that are fun. When something is fun and you choose to do it, you give it meaning. That gives me a huge amount of motivation, whether it’s my sports, my work or my activism. The more you simplify it, the easier it is to find that motivation and satisfaction in life.
My parents taught me …
… love and dedication. They fostered my love for studying and put up with my need for new books every few days, because I read them so quickly. They ferried me from sport class to sport class before and after school without a moment’s hesitation. I owe them everything.
I have this theory that …
… most people don’t know what they’re capable of. Most people can achieve more than they think, push themselves further than they believe, and do more incredible things than they can dream of. Sport has pushed me to find those things for myself. Everybody has something they can excel in.
I’d like to tell my younger self …
… that it’s all going to be worth it. All the stress, revising and worrying does pay off, and you grow up and become more confident, more mature, and more capable than you could ever believe – and you win some medals as well.
Imogen Grant is an ambassador for The Rivers Trust. For more on British Rowing, see www.britishrowing.org
Main image: Steve McArthur
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