EARLY YEARS
Tell us about your first success in your sport?
My first success in the sport on a personal level was probably winning my first age category national championships on the track as an under 12. I wasn’t the favourite going into the competition as there was another girl who consistently was winning at that point, but I managed to win the competition and my fist age group national title.
GRASSROOTS
What would you say to someone thinking about trying your sport?
Just get out on your bike and have fun. There are lots of different disciplines in cycling, from mountain biking to track cycling, so first things first is get stuck in and have some fun.
What initiatives are happening to get people into your sport?
There’s the British Cycling go-ride system, it’s about getting kids down to their local cycling clubs to get on their bikes, to have a go, improve their bike skills and then maybe even to get into racing.
HEROES
Which sportspeople do you admire now, and why?
I really admire Kevin Sinfield, not only was he amazing at what he does but he is also using his platform as an athlete to help a cause close to his heart and to try and raise money for MND and his friend Rob Burrow.
I also admire teammate Katie Archibald, having lost her partner and still being such a dominant athlete, but also how she is navigating her way through her grief, I understand somewhat of what she is going through and I think she has been amazing. Also she is absolutely incredible at what she does!
TRAINING
How often do you train?
Currently I’m training 5 or 6 days a week, either once or twice a day.
Describe a typical training session
We are either doing maximal sprint efforts on the velodrome or we are in the gym lifting weights with exercises like squats, leg press and core stability.
What is your favourite training session/exercise/drill?
I really enjoy technical sessions where we practice our racing tactics and skills. It’s a lot of fun and it’s a bit like a game.
Best piece of advice from your coach?
Remember your processes and focus on how you are going to do what you’re going to do, and not what the outcome might be.
Which part of your body suffers the most in your sport?
Definitely my legs, in our sport it’s all about how much power our legs can put through the pedals and how fast we can pedal. A lot of our training is based around making our legs really strong, especially our quads, hamstrings and glutes.
What’s the toughest thing about being an athlete?
There are always going to be days or efforts that you don’t feel like doing or have the same motivation for, and it’s about digging down deep and finding it in you to push yourself and hurt yourself when you’re tired and are struggling.
What’s the hardest part/skill in your sport to master?
Probably getting the race tactics right. You may be the fastest, but you need to ride the race well by making the right decisions, like how fast you are going and how high up on the track you are, all to make sure you cross the line first.
