Imogen Grant MBE

Welcome to A Portrait of Progress, a series that sees seven changemakers come together to create one inspiring collective. A collective united by one goal, protecting our planet and those who inhabit it. 

Please introduce yourself.
My name is Imogen Grant. I’m a doctor, an Olympic champion, and a sustainability advocate.

What moves you?
The main thing that moves me is joy. I love finding joy in everything I do. It’s what keeps me coming back to rowing. It’s what brings me back to medicine, and it’s what draws me to the rivers in the UK.

What does Earth positive mean to you?
For me, Earth positive is about taking small steps towards what’s right and what’s good. The Earth isn’t over yet, we can all take small actions to help realise the vision of our future.

What advice would you tell your younger self?
The biggest advice I’d give my younger self is: you don’t have to choose. If you love more than one thing, you can balance it all. You really can have everything.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to take positive action, where should they start?
My biggest piece of advice is: just do something. Something is always better than nothing, and it gives you the motivation to take the next step.

What's a mistake you’ve made that ended up teaching you something valuable?
One of the biggest ‘mistakes’ people might point to in my rowing career was coming fourth at the Tokyo Olympics. But we went on to win the Olympic Games in Paris three years later, and I don’t think we would’ve achieved that result without having come fourth in Tokyo.

How do you connect to nature and why?
For me, connecting with nature is all about getting out on the water. Rowing is my sport and there’s nothing I love more than going out when the mist is rising early in the morning. The water is perfectly still and flat, and I can hear the birdsong.