Caragh McMurtry

Rower // Women's Squad
Date of Birth: 22nd Aug 1991 (32 years old)
Club: Southampton Coalporters ARC
Height: 174.00
Hometown: Southampton

Caragh McMurtry profile image

Caragh McMurtry, a medallist at world junior and U23 level, was part of the senior women’s eight at the 2013 and 2014 World Rowing Championships but saw injury keep her out of the 2015 season.

McMurtry, who got into the sport through British Rowing’s Project Oarsome scheme, has also won a hat-trick of European Championship medals.

She began 2017 in the new-look women’s eight, winning silver at the World Cup in Poznan, before moving to the pair for the Lucerne regatta, where she won the B final with Sam Courty.

At the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton, McMurtry was selected in the women’s four, winning the B final by over a length. She raced at the World Rowing Championships in the women’s four again in 2018, achieving the same result

McMurtry retired from international rowing after competing in the women’s eight at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

She has subsequently founded the charity Neurodiverse Sport.

A medallist at World Junior and U23 level, Caragh raced with the women’s eight at the 2013 and 2014 World Championships

On The Water

Rio 2016 Olympiad: 2013 – 2016

McMurtry started the Olympiad in a second GB women’s quad scull at the World Cup in Eton Dorney, coming fifth. She was then selected for the eight and finished just outside the medals on her world championships debut in Chungju.

She remained in the eight throughout 2014 and won a silver medal at the European Championships in Belgrade. Bronze medals followed at the World Cups in Aiguebelette and Lucerne before the GB eight, with McMurtry in the stroke seat, finished sixth at the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam.

(From left) Polly Swann, Caragh McMurtry, Rosamund Bradbury, Zoe de Toledo, Zoe Lee, Louisa Reeve, Katie Greves, Donna Etiebet and Jess Eddie won women's eight bronze at the Aiguebelette World Cup in 2014
Olivia Carnegie-Brown and Caragh McMurtry won women's pair silver at the 2012 European Championships

London 2012 Olympiad: 2009 – 2012

The 2012 season saw her forge a good partnership with Olivia Carnegie-Brown in the women’s pair, winning silver at both the World Rowing U23 Championships in Trakai and the European Championships in Varese. They also doubled up in the eight at the latter event, winning bronze.

She gained her first GB seat at the Munich International Regatta in 2009, winning silver in the women’s pair and gold in the four. She also raced in the latter boat at that year’s World Junior Championships in Brive, claiming a fine silver.

GB Competitive Record

Year Event Position Boat
2020 Olympic Regatta
Tokyo
JPN 5 (Relechage) W8+
2021 World Cup II
Lucerne, SUI
W4-
2021 European Rowing Championships
Varese, ITA
4 W8+
2019 World Rowing Cup III
Rotterdam, NED
1 (FB Final) W4-
2019 World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
6 W4-
2019 European Rowing Championships
Lucerne, SUI
6 W4-
2018 World Rowing Championships
Plovdiv, BUL
1 (FB Final) W4-
2018 European Rowing Championships
Glasgow, GBR
4 W4-
2018 World Rowing Cup II
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
4 W8+
2018 World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
2 (FB Final) W4-
2017 World Rowing Championships
Sarasota-Bradenton, USA
1 (FB Final) W4-
2017 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
1 (FB Final) W2-
2017 World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
W8+
2017 European Rowing Championships
Racice, CZE
4 W8+
2014 World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
6 W8+
2014 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
W8+
2014 World Rowing Cup II
Aiguebelette, FRA
W8+
2014 European Rowing Championships
Belgrade, SRB
W8+
2013 World Rowing Championships
Chungju, KOR
4 W8+
2013 World Rowing Cup II
Eton, GBR
5 W4x
2012 European Championships
Varese, ITA
W8+
2012 Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Trakai, LTU
BW2-
2011 Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
5 (F Final) BW8+
2009 World Rowing Junior Championships
Brive-la Gaillarde, FRA
JW4-
Year:
2020
Event:
Olympic Regatta
Tokyo
Position:
JPN
Boat:
5 (Relechage)
W8+
Year:
2021
Event:
World Cup II
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
Boat:
W4-
Year:
2021
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Varese, ITA
Position:
4
Boat:
W8+
Year:
2019
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Rotterdam, NED
Position:
1 (FB Final)
Boat:
W4-
Year:
2019
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
Position:
6
Boat:
W4-
Year:
2019
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
6
Boat:
W4-
Year:
2018
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Plovdiv, BUL
Position:
1 (FB Final)
Boat:
W4-
Year:
2018
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Glasgow, GBR
Position:
4
Boat:
W4-
Year:
2018
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
Position:
4
Boat:
W8+
Year:
2018
Event:
World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
2 (FB Final)
Boat:
W4-
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Sarasota-Bradenton, USA
Position:
1 (FB Final)
Boat:
W4-
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
1 (FB Final)
Boat:
W2-
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
Position:
Boat:
W8+
Year:
2017
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Racice, CZE
Position:
4
Boat:
W8+
Year:
2014
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
Position:
6
Boat:
W8+
Year:
2014
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
Boat:
W8+
Year:
2014
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Aiguebelette, FRA
Position:
Boat:
W8+
Year:
2014
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
Boat:
W8+
Year:
2013
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Chungju, KOR
Position:
4
Boat:
W8+
Year:
2013
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Eton, GBR
Position:
5
Boat:
W4x
Year:
2012
Event:
European Championships
Varese, ITA
Position:
Boat:
W8+
Year:
2012
Event:
Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Trakai, LTU
Position:
Boat:
BW2-
Year:
2011
Event:
Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
Position:
5 (F Final)
Boat:
BW8+
Year:
2009
Event:
World Rowing Junior Championships
Brive-la Gaillarde, FRA
Position:
Boat:
JW4-

More info...

Club: Reading University BC
Boat: Women’s Squad
Role: Rower
Coaches: James Harris
Learnt to Row: Coalporters ARC
Original Club(s): Coalporters ARC
Original Coach(es): Eira Parry

Beyond the Boat

McMurtry began rowing at Coalporters ARC through British Rowing’s “Project Oarsome” scheme and competed on the coastal rowing circuit for five years before moving to river rowing.

A keen artist, she has sold work on commission and loves to draw or paint on paper, canvas and furniture. She said: “I constantly have new ideas and hoard art supplies for future undertakings.” She does not want to rely on her hobby as her sole source of income, though, and would like to work in the mental health profession when her rowing career finishes.

Her family now live in Cork, where she spent her family holidays growing up. Her dad would be among her dream dinner guest companions, along with Morrissey and Ben Stiller – star of her favourite film, Zoolander.

If stranded on a desert island, she would take the following three things with her: boyfriend Mikey, her family and her cats – she chills out with on the sofa after training. M83, Chvrches, Nero, The Prodigy and System of a Down provide the soundtrack to her ergo training but she likes to wind down by listening to Morrissey, The Smiths, Crowded House and Fleetwood Mac.

McMurtry is Lottery funded through UK Sport.

Personal information

Place of Birth Current Address Home Town
Southampton Reading Southampton
Place of Birth:
Southampton
Current Address:
Reading
Home Town:
Southampton
Date of Birth Height
22nd August 1991 174cm
Date of Birth:
22nd August 1991
Height:
174cm
Education
Bitterne Park Secondary School, Itchen College, Reading University
Education:
Bitterne Park Secondary School, Itchen College, Reading University