Two Olympic golds. Nine times World Champion. Victoria Pendleton is truly one of the most successful track cyclists of all time. But her journey to greatness wasn’t without its challenges. She’s faced plenty of those, both on and off the track.
Growing up in a family already passionate about cycling Victoria found herself immersed in this competitive world from a young age. At 16 she was told she didn’t have the right mentality to be a champion. She could have given up there and then. But she didn’t. Despite doubts about her potential, Victoria persevered, driven by a steadfast determination to prove those doubters wrong.
She fought a lack of self-confidence for a long time, and it wasn’t until she won her first World Championship that she actually felt for the first time that she could do it. That she could be that champion that she so clearly was.
Victoria understood the sacrifices required to achieve excellence and that dedication paid off when she went on to win Olympic gold. But her path was still not without its challenges. Diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety Victoria now faced a new battle. But this time, unlike on the track, things were moving slowly. Patience and self-acceptance were key.
Victoria’s impact extends far beyond the realm of cycling. She is an advocate for mental health awareness and uses her platform to help others. She is now even an accomplished jockey.
But Victoria’s rise to greatness was not pre-determined. It was earned through hard-work, determination and a resilience that continues to inspire countless individuals.
As she says, “You have to keep fighting until you absolutely can’t do anything more…and then give it one more go!”
Victoria Pendleton – video transcript
I grew up in a very competitive household. My dad was a keen cyclist. My grandfather liked cycling. It was something to do and spend time with my family. I've got a twin brother, so we were always very competitive racing against one another growing up. And I had some good results. Mainly, because if there was a handicap event, they'd take one look at me and move me forward 10 or 20 metres. And I'd be like, "Yes, I'm going to get a head start on the boys." And it really spurred me on to push myself, because being chased down is a great way to get the best out of yourself.
I was told when I was 16 years old that I didn't have the right mentality to be a champion. I thought, "I'm going to fight my way through and prove them wrong." I don't want to watch the competition, I want to be in it. I never saw myself as a successful athlete, because I didn't truly believe deep down that I had what it takes. But something inside me, and I guess my dad's influence, and he's a very tenacious man, told me just to keep trying and one day you might get there. I didn't always feel that confident about it. It wasn't until I became world champion for the first time that I thought, "Oh, I can do this. I can really do this."
To become the best in the world at what you do, you really need to give a 100% of yourself towards it. Which I know sounds crazy. It's not just a job, it's about how you approach your life. It's prioritising the things that will make a difference to your performance and letting everything else go. And it won't be forever, it's temporary. So you're willing to give up everything in order to be the best. And that means your family, your friends, sometimes come second place to your training and your regime, which is kind of a bit sad. But when I was in training, only one thing mattered.
I think I'm a very self-critical individual. Like, I always overanalyse everything that I do or that I say. And for me, the focus goes straight towards the negatives and think, "Well, how can I do it better?" And, "How could I be more efficient, more effective?" I even cannot watch my Olympic performances back without a certain amount of discomfort. Because I didn't think I did a very good job, I could've done it better. I feel like I'm still striving for something and I will always be striving for something better.
I wish I understood why I felt this need to keep pushing. But then maybe that desire to keep pushing every single time you do something, maybe that's what it is that led me to, to succeed in the way I have so far.
I was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety. Everyone told me to be kind to myself, to be patient. But I'm an impatient kind of person. And I was incredibly annoyed with myself and embarrassed because I was like, "I've been Olympic champion. How can I not beat this?" And I would beat myself up about not being able to fix the fact that I didn't feel okay. Which is the most ridiculous thing because number one rule is don't beat yourself up. So it's been a tough journey for me to really accept that some things just take time. It's a learning experience. It makes you stronger. It's not a weakness. It's just part of being human.
I guess I really have something to prove to myself and I'm not quite sure how to do it. So I'm going to keep trying and pushing until eventually I get there, I think. Because in sport I did okay. But I don't feel like that's the final chapter of, you know, my story. I feel like there's more things I want to achieve, things I want to experience.
You have to have the mentality that you won't give up. You can't give up. And that means that, you know it's going to be a struggle and it's going to be tough at times. But you have to keep fighting until you absolutely can't do anything more and then give it one more go. I think it takes a certain level of tenacity and also resilience, because there's knock backs all along the journey. And you have to be the kind of person that learns from them, whether they were your mistakes or someone else's poor judgment. And understand them and use them to your own advantage.
Make it your own journey. Don't feel like you necessarily have to follow what someone else did and don't let other people judge what you're capable of. If I had listened to the people around me, telling me that I wasn't the right body shape, I didn't have the right mentality, then I wouldn't have gone anywhere. So don't let people judge what you're capable of. Because the only person that will ever know is you.
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Victoria Pendleton became one of the most successful female track cyclists of all time.
She won two Olympic gold medals, a record nine World Championships and European and Commonwealth titles.
After retiring from cycling, she became a successful competitive jockey.
She continues to challenge herself in new ways and still strives to succeed in everything she does.
