More bang for your buck

I was lucky that, because my mum had been a skier, my parents didn’t have that perception that I needed to get a “proper job”. After two years juggling being a vet with cycling, British Cycling offered me the chance to go professional. My boss said, “Go for it. If you ever need a job, just give me a call.” It was amazing to have that safety net.

So many people start in their sports at such a young age that it’s all they’ve ever known. There’s a fear that they have no other options if they get injured, or can’t keep going for whatever reason. I’m lucky to have this kind of ace card. It’s not a bad fall back to have. I loved being a vet.

Being an athlete isn’t like a normal job. You don’t train and then totally relax. It’s 24/7. You become very aware of the impact of every little thing you do. One late night drinking can have a huge impact on your training. Some would say that’s making a sacrifice, I don’t see it that way. No one’s forcing me to do this. I enjoy it. I want to be the best, so I make choices that will help optimise my performance. I’m not saying I live the perfect athlete life, far from it. It’s about balance.

I’m lucky that my partner, Jonny, is a cyclist too because he understands the way it works. We often go to Tenerife over Christmas, but he doesn’t expect me to go and lie on a beach. We’ll go somewhere with the intention of training together. We recently went to Andorra, which you might imagine would be lovely and relaxed, but we actually spent our time climbing up mountains where there’s not enough oxygen!

I got engaged a couple of years ago but we’re not planning a wedding yet. At the time, everyone was asking when we would get married. I used to say, “After the Olympics.” I didn’t specify which Olympics though!

My family doesn’t often get to see me race. My brothers both live overseas – one in Norway, one in Germany – and if Jonny and I are away at the same time, my parents have to look after my dog – he’s the number one priority!

I’ve always been competitive. My parents kept me and my brothers very active. We all rode horses and did orienteering when we were young. My oldest brother is the most naturally sporty, but he didn’t like the stress of competitions, so he stepped away. Then the middle brother, Donald, was great at rowing. He won gold for Scotland at the 2014

Commonwealth Games and held a world record in indoor rowing for a while. He gave it up to have a proper academic career, whereas I was like, “Nah, I’m just going to keep going with sport for as long as I can!”

Every athlete is different but I think we all share a bit of stubbornness and determination. My team-mates and I do anyway! We want to win, we want to be the best, and that is the huge driver that motivates us. You need that ability to stick at it when the going gets tough, because ultimately, it’s never going to be an easy path to success. There are ups and downs, and there will always be tough days.

QUICK Q&A

Career highlight?

Winning my first two medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Up until that point, I didn’t realise I was any good.

Plan B?

Going back to being a vet, but my old employer who vowed to give me my job back has retired so it might not be quite so easy!

Guilty TV pleasure?

I never know what to watch on TV, maybe because I didn’t have one when I was studying. I’m currently doing a part-time Master’s in animal nutrition at Glasgow Uni, so a lot of my free time goes on that instead.

Soundtrack to success?

I need a balance of uplifting, but not too uplifting. You can’t get too excited too soon in a race. I stumbled upon a Spotify playlist called This Is Lost Frequencies which works for me.

Words of wisdom for budding cyclists?

My teammates are very much like a second family. We train together week in, week out. The dynamics for the Team Pursuit can put a lot of pressure on those relationships because the team is selected from a group of six or seven. Only four of you will get to line up on the start line. It’s a strange situation, but it’s very special when everything comes together and you get results as a team.

Just give it a go. And bring it!

harassed by a car driver. Back home, the roads are quiet and there are so many beautiful places to ride.

The beauty of cycling is that it can be super sociable. I imagine some people might be daunted about breaking into a new social bubble, but it’s not an elitist thing. If you’re cycling competitively, it’s a bit different, and you need more equipment and discipline. But anyone can get on a bike. It’s about finding what gives you pleasure.

The legacy of hosting events like the Championships is about giving as many people as possible the opportunity to try a new sport. If the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome hadn’t existed in Glasgow, for example, I’d never have started cycling. As a beginner, I didn’t have the motivation to travel anywhere to train, but having a facility that was local meant I could just go and give it a try. I fell in love with track cycling, but it could be BMX, it could be downhill, it could be anything. You have to find your niche and discover what makes you tick.

In my downtime, I love hill walking with my whippet, Figaro. I often do that when I know I shouldn’t. It doesn’t sound particularly wild or sinful but, as a cyclist, you try not to spend too much time on your feet. Walking for a couple of hours isn’t the best thing for recovery. I just get this huge sense of freedom when I go off into the hills.

When I visit my parents in Aberdeenshire, I love getting out on the bike. I’m based in Manchester now and there are a lot of cars on the road. I’m sure every cyclist will understand how it feels to be

Dame Katherine Grainger

The Chair of UK Sport, and former rowing Olympic Champion, reflects on the important role sport can play in our communities and within ourselves