people

As a female athlete, I wanted a baby, and I thought, ‘why should I let it end my career?

How did you first get into cycling? I’d always been sporty. I’d always been into all the team sports and I really enjoyed it. But it was actually my parents that got me into cycling. My mum chose cycling as a way of losing weight when I was eight years old, and that was it, really. My sister and I really enjoyed it, so we just carried on doing it.

From there, what was the journey to the top of the sport like?

© Doug Pe ters/Doug Pe ters/EMPICS Entertainment

Laura Kenny • Olympic cycling champion you can get onto the GB programme. I basically just went through the system, literally from the bottom to the top, through British Cycling. Obviously, cycling isn’t easy, but in terms of moving through the system, I didn’t really have any hiccups. I had it quite smooth onto the senior programme, and then my Olympic day came around so much faster than I thought it was going to.

fun. And then, I guess it’s a bit like football,

How important is sport to you, personally, on a day-to-day level?

in that you get scouted. I did a test when

It’s always been important. I always loved

I was about 13 to get onto a programme

having an active life. That’s what I want

called Talent Team, which was my first

for my son, Albie, when he’s growing

I just did it because I enjoyed it – it was

stepping stone to the Great Britain team. They have different academies for

Laura Kenny is a four time Olympic

up. I think it’s a really healthy way of

Gold Medallist in cycling

living. It’s not even the fact that I do it because I love it – because I obviously do

© John Walton/PA Wire/PA Images

different ages and then once you’re 18

Kenny (far left) in the Women’s Team Pursuit final at the 2018 European Championships

10

Issue 4 2018

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