Sports administrator. Born Louise Campbell in Dunfermline (Fife), she was a competitive swimmer reaching the finals of the 110 yards backstroke and 220 yards backstroke at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Perth (Australia) in 1962, at the age of sixteen. Thereafter she studied at Edinburgh College of Domestic Science and went on to teach briefly at Glenrothes High School and Millburn Academy in Inverness. After marriage and bringing up a family, Martin turned to a second career in sports coaching and administration.
Following her daughter's interest in the sport, Martin found herself managing Scotland's gymnastics team at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria in Canada. She went on to serve as President of Scottish Gymnastics (1993-99) and joined the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland in 1995. She became its Chair (1999 - 2007) and was central to the organisation of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She served as Secretary of the Commonwealth Games Federation (1999 - 2015) and thereafter was its first female President (2015-23), speaking at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2018 Gold Coast Games and the 2022 Birmingham Games. In addition, Martin served as Chair of SportScotland (2008-16) and Chair of the Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (2014-18). She has expressed her enthusiasm for the integration of e-sports and video games within the Commonwealth Games.
She was awarded a CBE in 2003, elevated to become a Dame (2019) and holds honorary degrees from Abertay University, Glasgow Caledonian University, the University of Stirling, the University of Strathclyde, and Heriot-Watt University. In 2002, she was named UK Sports Administrator of the Year by The Sunday Times. She lives in Dunblane.
