HABERDASHERS Monmouth School for Girls rower Katherine Foord (18) struck gold at one of the country's top indoor sports events.
Foord took top honours in the Lightweight Women's Junior 18 event at the 1999 Perpetual British Indoor Rowing Championship in Reading. Each athlete raced over 2,000 metres – the Olympic rowing regatta distance – against the clock on one of the nearly 100 identical Concept II indoor rower machines set up at the Rivermead Leisure Complex.
This year's entry was the biggest in the nine year history of the event and Foord defeated a field of high quality athletes on her way to the coveted title. The championship attracted more than 1,400 competitors and 2,500 spectators.
Indoor rowing is now a cult sport followed by tens of thousands of fitness enthusiasts and sportsmen and women all over the country. More than 70 sports were represented at this year's event.
She was presented with her medal by rugby legend Andy Ripley.