Shirley Robertson
Encyclopedia
Shirley Ann Robertson, OBE (born July 15, 1968, Dundee
) is a Scottish
sailor and Olympic gold medallist. She made it in the history books by becoming the first British
woman to win two Olympic gold medals at consecutive games, Sydney 2000
and Athens 2004
.
She won her first Olympic gold medal in the Europe
class at the 2000 Summer Olympics
. In the 2004 Summer Olympics
, her crew in the Yngling
class clinched the gold medal with one race to spare.
Shirley was named female World sailor of the Year
by the International Sailing Federation
in 2000, and was awarded an MBE
in 2000 and an OBE
in 2005.
In January 2006, She became the regular presenter of Mainsail, a CNN
monthly program devoted to the sailing world. She was also a commentator for the BBC
's sailing coverage at the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
Her role with the Olympics continues through her involvement with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) Sport Advisory Group.
in central Scotland
. She started sailing at the age of 7 in a Mirror Miracle dinghy which her father built from a kit in the garage of their home in Clackmannanshire
, and they sailed on Loch Ard
in the Trossachs
. A determined child with the ability to focus and believe that you can achieve anything with hard work and by listening to those around you paid off, she quickly got the bug and her quest for an Olympic gold medal started after she graduated from Heriot-Watt University
in Edinburgh
in 1990.
Shirley married her partner Jamie Boag in June 2001 whom she currently lives with in Cowes
, on the Isle of Wight
. She gave birth to twins children in July 2006.
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
) is a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
sailor and Olympic gold medallist. She made it in the history books by becoming the first British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
woman to win two Olympic gold medals at consecutive games, Sydney 2000
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and Athens 2004
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
.
She won her first Olympic gold medal in the Europe
Europe (dinghy)
The Europe is a one-person dinghy designed in Belgium in 1960 by Alois Roland as a class legal Moth dinghy. The design later changed into its own one-design class....
class at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. In the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, her crew in the Yngling
Yngling (keelboat)
thumbA Yngling is a sailing boat which the International Yngling Association call an "agreeable cross between a planing dinghy and a keelboat." It can be regarded as a smaller version of the Soling although there are differences in sailing characteristics, proportion, and tuning requirements,...
class clinched the gold medal with one race to spare.
Shirley was named female World sailor of the Year
ISAF World Sailor of the Year Awards
-Background:The ISAF World Sailor of the Year Awards were launched in 1994 by the International Sailing Federation. The awards are recognised as the pinnacle award a sailor can receive in recognition of his/her outstanding achievements by the world of sailing....
by the International Sailing Federation
International Sailing Federation
The International Sailing Federation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing body for the sport of sailing....
in 2000, and was awarded an MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 2000 and an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 2005.
In January 2006, She became the regular presenter of Mainsail, a CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
monthly program devoted to the sailing world. She was also a commentator for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's sailing coverage at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
Her role with the Olympics continues through her involvement with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) Sport Advisory Group.
Personal life
Shirley spent her early life in MenstrieMenstrie
Menstrie is a village in the county of Clackmannanshire in Scotland, UK. It is about 5 miles east-north-east of Stirling...
in central Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. She started sailing at the age of 7 in a Mirror Miracle dinghy which her father built from a kit in the garage of their home in Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
, and they sailed on Loch Ard
Loch Ard
Loch Ard is a body of fresh water in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park of the Stirling District in Scotland. -Overview:...
in the Trossachs
Trossachs
The Trossachs itself is a small woodland glen in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It lies between Ben A'an to the north and Ben Venue to the south, with Loch Katrine to the west and Loch Achray to the east. However, the name is used generally to refer to the wider area of wooded glens and...
. A determined child with the ability to focus and believe that you can achieve anything with hard work and by listening to those around you paid off, she quickly got the bug and her quest for an Olympic gold medal started after she graduated from Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University is a university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The name commemorates George Heriot, the 16th century financier to King James, and James Watt, the great 18th century inventor and engineer....
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in 1990.
Shirley married her partner Jamie Boag in June 2001 whom she currently lives with in Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
, on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. She gave birth to twins children in July 2006.