John Robertson
- Date of birth:
- 11 February 1972
- Star sign:
- Aquarius
- Place of birth:
- Sunderland, UK
- Current Hometown:
- Sunderland/Portland
- Nickname:
- Robbo
This will be the third consecutive Paralympics that John Robertson has helmed the British Sonar team.
John was paralysed from the chest down as a result of a motorbike accident in 1994. A decade later Robertson, with Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas arrived on the Sonar scene as the new kids on the Paralympic block at Athens 2004. Back-to-back World Championship wins in 2005 and 2006 saw Sunderland’s John, Hannah and Welshman Stephen catapulted into the ‘favourites’ bracket for Beijing 2008.
But the trio endured a tough Paralympic regatta in China, where they finished sixth, matching their Athens result of four years previously. World Championship silvers in 2010 and 2011 and 2012 Worlds bronze show why the trio will be amongst the favourites for London 2012.
John's Q&A Session
| First boat sailed and where? | Mirror Dingy at Sunderland YC |
| Who got you into sailing? | My Father. |
| Favourite boat? | Farr 45(so farr) |
| Biggest influence in your career to date? | Parents and our coaches over the years. |
| My worst moment (sailing)? | Not medaling at Athens and Beijing Paralympics. |
| My best moment (sailing)? | Winning 2 World Championships back to back in 2005 & 2006. |
| Best sailing venue in the UK? | Sunderland, Weymouth and Portland. |
| Best sailing venue in the World? | Perth. |
| If you weren’t a professional sailor what else would you be? | Lighthouse keeper or maybe the Dalai Lama… |
| How do you progress from a club sailor to an Olympic class sailor? | By good fortune and by being spotted at the Challenger nationals in 1995!? |
| What are your greatest passions outside of sailing? | My Landrover and a bit of woodturning. |
| Do you follow any other sports? | Rugby, Football, Moto GP, Formula 1….. |
| Any heroes? | Valentino Rossi. |
| What other sports do you play? | Tennis. |
| Worst habit? | Wind. |
| What’s your greatest fear or phobia? | Pass. |
| Favourite reality show? | You have got to be kidding??! |
| Name 3 things that are always in your shopping trolley? | Marmite, hummous, olives. |
| What was the last book you read? | Bill Bryson. |
| Dream holiday? | Yeh right, whats one of those? |