I have been a full time athlete for ten years now. From the age of 18 I spent almost eight years as a rower on the Great Britain team. My major successes included becoming U23 World Champion in 2000, winning a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games and becoming World Champion in 2005.
In early 2006 I retired from rowing, after which a new door of fate led me to a new sport - track cycling. I gained a place on the Great Britain cycling team and after a year in the sport I won a silver medal at the 2007 World Championships in my new competition event the 3km Individual Pursuit.
This year I became a double World Champion in the Individual Pursuit and the Team Pursuit and also accomplished the unique achievement of being a World Champion in two different sports. In August I am hoping to add an Olympic medal to my collection of cycling medals. If I can do this then I will be making history to become the first British woman and the second woman worldwide to win Olympic medals in two different summer Olympic sports.
1. What do you enjoy most about blogging as an athlete?
Particularly whilst I’m so busy and focused on the Olympic Games, I enjoy blogging because it enables me to communicate quickly and easily with lots of people in one go. I like the fact that I can offer up insider information so that people can share this fantastic challenge with me. I also enjoy making a record of my thoughts, feelings, images etc. securing memories which I can look back on. It all rushes by in a blur and gets forgotten otherwise!
2. What’s the best moment of your sports career?
My best moment was becoming World Champion for the second time in my career but in a different sport to the first time! It was a massive challenge and the personal achievement and pride I felt was overwhelming.
3. What are you most looking forward to in Beijing?
I’m most looking forward to racing my event and finding out what happens. The suspense of the final outcome is killing me!!
4. Anything else we need to know about you?
I’m desperate to become Olympic Champion – the ultimate sporting victory!
Sports History:
CYCLING ACHIEVEMENTS
2008
- DOUBLE WORLD CHAMPION
2007
- World Championship - Silver Medallist
- British National Track Champion
2006
- British National Time Trial Champion
ROWING ACHIEVEMENTS
2005
- WORLD CHAMPION
- World Cup Series Winner
2004
- OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALLIST
- World Cup Series Winner
2003
- World Championships – 4th Place
2002
- World Championships – 5th Place
- U23 British Indoor Rowing Champion
2001
- World Championships – 5th Place
- U23 British Indoor Rowing Champion
2000
- U23 WORLD CHAMPION
1999
- Commonwealth Games Regatta - Silver Medallist
- U23 World Championships – 4th Place
1998
- Junior World Championships – (disqualified from silver medal for a steering impediment)
