- Adidas takes pride in the Samba - 21 June, 2018
- Yogathon – A Painstakingly Good Review - 1 July, 2017
- Review: The Gym at The Midland - 20 May, 2017
She may very well be Britain’s most successful female Olympian, but to the majority, 24-year-old Laura Trott is an almost unknown quality. As far as the broadcasters make out, she’s a cyclist who is engaged to fellow cyclist Jason Kenny. So, who is she?
She was born in Harlow, Essex, with a collapsed lung, and later diagnosed with asthma. She was advised to take up sport to regulate her breathing. Though she initially started with trampolining, she switched to cycling as a weight loss venture with her mother and sister.
Trott then began to train at Welwyn Wheelers, the local cycling club, and quickly adapted to the track discipline of cycling; namely the sprint circuits. When she began to develop into a serious talent on the bike seat, she was developed into a junior athlete in time for the 2011 Junior World Championships, where she took her first world title.
In 2012, she entered her first Olympics, at the age of 20. There, she, along with fellow riders Dani King and Joanna Rowsell Shand, took gold in the team pursuit, triumphing over the USA. To add to this impressive feat, they beat their own world record for a sixth consecutive time, on the sixth occasion the trio had raced together.
Following this was a titanic three way battle for the gold medal in the omnium race. Against Annette Edmondson (Australia) and Sarah Hammer (USA), she performed poorly initially, before a last minute storm saw her edge Hammer out for gold by a single point. At the age of 20, she was a double Olympic gold medalist.
Her stock continued to rise at the Games in Rio when she retained her gold medals from her efforts in the team pursuit and the omnium races in London four years previously. Aged just 24, she is Team GB’s most successful female athlete. Fiancé Kenny this week secured his place in the history books by securing his sixth Gold medal, joint with Sir Chris Hoy ahead of Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Bradly Wiggins for the title of Britain’s Greatest Olympian.
Trott was awarded an OBE in the 2013 New Years Honours’ list. She will no doubt be an odds on favourite for a further title alongside Kenny. Trott also lends her name to the former Grundy Park Leisure centre in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire
Team GB has it’s new power couple of the Olympic games in Trott and Kenny with numerous commentators including Sir Chris stating how down to earth she is. She doesn’t see any event as a guaranteed win. The future is bright for Trott, that is a given but now it’s time for her to take a break and enjoy her wedding next month.
Big congrats to both Trott and Kenny on their huge success in Rio. At present this power couple would rank 13th in the medal tables, above Kenya and below Hungary. Hugely impressive.
