Katrina Jacks

Katrina Jacks (c. 1986 in Monmouth, Wales – 16 May 2010 in Lake Titicaca, Peru), was a Welsh rower and chemical engineering graduate.

Biography

Jacks was born in Monmouth, the second child and first daughter to General Practitioners Alasdair and Susanna. She had an older brother and a younger sister.[1]

Education

Educated at Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls and known there as Kay Jacks, she obtained straight A's at both GCSE and A Level.[1] She then attended Imperial College, London, graduating with a first class degree in chemical engineering.[2]

Competitive rowing

A talented sport woman, from her time as a schoolgirl Jacks was a competitive rower, entering both local and national level competitions. She won a number of gold medals at the National Schools Championships, and represented Great Britain at under-16 level for two consecutive years.[1] Jacks was part of the Welsh eight at the 2006 Commonwealth Rowing Championships at Strathclyde Park in Motherwell, Scotland, winning silver with the Welsh team.[3]

Death

Due to start a job with an engineering consultancy company in summer 2010, Jacks took a gap year in South America from 2009 to improve her Spanish. First volunteering at an orphanage in Ecuador,[4] she then trekked along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu,[1] before travelling to Lake Titicaca in Peru, the world's highest navigable lake at a height of 3,827 metres (12,556 ft). Jacks died of an apparent dose of altitude sickness, which affects human beings above 2,400 metres (7,900 ft),[5] on 16 May 2010. Her body was returned to Wales for burial in late May 2010.[1]

References
  1. Jessica Best (28 May 2010). "Chepstow graduate dies on South America trip". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  2. "Medal winning rower dies trekking in Peru". BBC Wales. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  3. Richard Smith (1 June 2010). "Commonwealth Games medallist Katrina Jacks killed by altitude while on holiday in Peru". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  4. "Doctors daughter dies from 'altitude sickness' on gap year". Daily Telegraph. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  5. Katie Cassidy (1 June 2010). "Medal-Winning Rower Dies On Peru Hike". Sky News. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
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