Kate Cochrane-Brink: Leaping Over Limits — A Steeplechaser’s Story

In this inspiring episode of The Bolder Woman podcast, host Chris Stafford sits down with elite steeplechaser Kate Cochrane-Brink, whose athletic journey embodies resilience, passion, and the relentless pursuit of personal excellence. Kate opens up about her evolution as a competitive runner, the rigorous demands of steeplechase, and the mental strength required to leap—literally and figuratively—over obstacles on and off the track. Through candid storytelling, she shares the lessons learned from training setbacks, race-day breakthroughs, and navigating the pressures of elite sport as a woman determined to push boundaries. Whether you’re a runner, an athlete seeking inspiration, or someone who loves stories of courage and grit, this episode delivers motivation, empowerment, and a behind-the-scenes look into the life of a barrier-breaking steeplechaser. Tune in to celebrate bold women, fierce determination, and the unstoppable spirit of Kate Cochrane-Brink on The Bolder Woman podcast.


Our guest this week is Canadian Hurdler turned Steeplechaser Dr. Katherine Cochrane-Brink who at 52 is continuing her sporting life in Masters Track & Field. Kate rode horses as a child before she turned to gymnastics and later rowing at university. At the 1990 OWIAA rowing champs she won the lightweight 4s and 8s for the University of Toronto. Other wins include the North American Henley in 1989, 1990, 1991 in lightweight 8s and she rowed heavyweight for the Oxford University Blue Boat in England in 1992 and1993 and also won the Head of the River on the Thames in 1992. Kate won a Rhodes Scholarship in 1991 the year she took part in the Pan Ams selection camp. After Oxford she went into medicine at University of Toronto and took part in rowing, mountain biking, Nordic skiing and later more road biking. Triathlon was her first Masters sport experience and she competed in the 2002 and 2005 World Age Group Champs. Her Masters track and field career started in 2010 and in 2019 she claimed the Canadian W50 record in 2000 m steeplechase. Nowadays Kate spends her winters competing in Nordic ski and snowshoe races. In 2019 I won the 10 k National Masters Snowshoe racing title and was 4th overall amongst the open women.

Host: Chris Stafford

This episode was first released in 2019

The Bolder Woman is part of the Women Unscripted podcast network (formerly WiSP Sports) founded in 2012 by Chris Stafford, which has more than 1700 episodes from around the world of women’s sport and the arts. We have covered every sport and all the issues around women in sport. We have interviewed hundreds of athletes and several of them have hosted our shows over the years. Subscribe and download Women Unscripted for free access to our extensive archive library.
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