Victoria Pendleton: My most embarrassing celebrity encounter

My Sporting Life is The i Paper’s peek behind the curtain at what drives sports stars to greatness. This week, two-time Olympic gold medallist Victoria Pendleton reflects on the defining moments, toughest lessons and major milestones that shaped her career. From the pressure of the biggest stages to life beyond elite sport, she shares the memories and mindset that still drive her today. I didn’t want to be a cyclist Or rather, I never thought I could be one. Honestly it started as a hobby and I turned out to be quite good at it. It wasn’t something I dreamed of. My mum found some writing I did at the age of 11 in the loft. Apparently I wanted to win the Grand National, become a professional ice-skater and be quite good at cycling like my dad. Those were my ambitions. Victoria Pendleton never planned to be a pro rider (Photo: PA) And I drew a picture of a little old lady with lots of rosettes and medals and trophies by herself with two cats, so read into that what you will. London 2012 was incredible Winning the keirin changed my life. It was an event I was told I would never win. People kept saying I wasn’t a keirin rider. So to do that on my home turf, in front of my family, felt really special. We lovingly call it the “golden age” of cycling because it’s quite an obscure sport that suddenly had a lot of attention. None of us in the team at the time had got into it thinking that it could ever be like that. It was all new territory for British sport as a whole, but for cycling in particular. British Cycling weren’t ready for me There had never been a women’s team before. They weren’t ready to support female riders. We were in unknown territory. Luckily things have really improved. It’s so much better now. And if I had a small part to play in that, then I’m glad that I stood up for myself because it’s changed for the better in so many ways. Women are much better supported and understood. Their training is more specific to them individually. That’s all I ever wanted, really. I felt at my lowest post-retirement I’m definitely someone who likes the rollercoaster. I like the highs and lows. The idea of not feeling anything would be torture. There were a few months where I didn’t know what to do with myself. Now I’m much better. I’m lucky enough that I can do other sports. So I go surfing as often as I can because I absolutely love it or I spend time with the horses because they also bring me so much joy. I’d love to have more when I have a chance and and save a bit more money. I’d love to have a sanctuary of retired racehorses. I wish I’d stopped to celebrate my success Victoria Pendleton winning gold at London 2012 (Photo: Getty) I was always looking at the next thing, worrying about keeping up momentum, that I didn’t stop sometimes to appreciate what I’d achieved. There were some pretty major milestones at the time. Of course when you pin so much expectation and hope on something that you have no control over, that does leave you in a precarious position sometimes. Even when I won, I sometimes felt low, like an anti-climax post-competition. But I was so worried about missing out that I didn’t stop and enjoy it, and that’s what I say when I speak to younger riders in particular, make sure you step back and take it all in. The most embarrassing one for me was meeting Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters. I was so starstruck. I think he’s absolutely brilliant. I just completely froze. I didn’t know what to say. I was like this is so embarrassing. I had my medal in my hand at the time and he asked to look at it and I was like, ‘Please take it, please take it’. And then I got namechecked by Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin at the same event, so I felt like the coolest chick on earth. I love rock music. I’ve never been as nervous as I was on Strictly Come Dancing Choreography is clearly something that doesn’t come naturally to me. I know this now. I can remember recipes and things like that, but not so much steps. I like to be prepared when I do things. I like to know that I’ve done everything I can to be there. I was in pretty good shape. But then when the lights came on, I really couldn’t remember them and there was nothing I could do about it. There was nowhere for me to hide. I gave it my all, but I didn’t know which direction I was going. Every tattoo I’ve got has a special meaning Victoria Pendleton shows off her tattoos in 2020 (Photo: Getty) They’re mostly female figures or wildlife to be honest. I’ve got a big piece on my back as well. I have a horse after my racing exploits as I thought I needed to get something to commemorate becoming a jockey. I had the snake done after travelling through Bolivia. A lot of people think of a snake as a scary or unpleasant thing, but they see it as something that’s connected to the earth. I thought that was a really beautiful expression. And then I have Athena and Medusa. I love reading about Greek mythology and stuff like that. I find it fascinating. I felt less pressure on a horse than on a bike It’s potentially a very dangerous scenario because it’s a partnership and you’re working together. You’re there to facilitate the horse. I felt very much like it was my job to look after them. It wasn’t about my performance – it was about theirs. So yeah, very different. I didn’t feel the same pressure. Diet was never a problem for me as it is for male jockeys. I’m naturally quite a small build. I think some people underestimated me because they didn’t think I’d be able to handle the pressure. But I took so many skills that I’d learned in my cycling career about dealing with adversity, following instructions, and staying calm, and those really allowed me to perform in the sport of horse racing. Had I gone into the paddock without that background and that understanding, I tell you what, there’s no way I would’ve stayed cool. British Cycling and Lloyds have launched Sofa to Saddle, a free eight-week app-based programme designed to break down the barriers to cycling and get the nation active. To start your journey, download the Sofa to Saddle app today.