Last summer Rebecca Romero became the first British woman, and second woman in history, to win medals in two different sports at the summer Olympic Games. Having secured a silver in the quad skulls in Athens, she made the decision to switch from water to track and won gold in the 3km Individual Pursuit in the velodrome. It’s a stunning achievement, from an ambitious athlete - but does the story stop here?
On taking a break post Beijing: I just decided that I was going to take a break away from competition and from training. I’d been a full time athlete for ten years and I just didn’t have it set in my mind what I wanted to do exactly so a bit of time away was the best thing.
To go to another competition six months after the games (Track cycling world championships) would mean getting back into it at least three months before and I just wasn’t ready to.
On the funding she receives: I’m lucky, and most athletes are lucky, in the sense that they don’t need sponsorship in order to do their sport. We get the National Lottery funding and without that I wouldn’t be where I am; I wouldn’t be an athlete full stop.
On surviving as a sportswoman with no sponsorship: I would like to be able to make a living and a career out of being an athlete; that involves first of all achieving your dreams and your targets. So for me that was becoming Olympic champion. Then I’ve got to try and turn that into something else and that would involve sponsors and maintaining partnerships with corporate companies and that’s just not there yet.
On retiring from rowing: If I had won gold I would have retired there and then. When I did actually do it I assumed I would be retiring from international competition. But I was 26 at the time so obviously I wasn’t retiring because I couldn’t be an athlete anymore. I still knew I wanted to be but I just assumed it would be at a recreational level.
On watching the women’s rowing quad lose out on gold to the Chinese in Beijing: I don’t think there is anyone who wanted them to win more than I did because I have been apart of that and know what it was like not to win.
On choosing cycling: I think my curiosity in trying out new sports led me to rowing and a similar thing happened with cycling. I’d seen track cycling at the velodrome and it intrigued me, it was something I thought I’ve got to have a go at, something a bit extreme. The aim was in two years to qualify for Beijing, which would involve making the top 12 in the world - it was going to be a big ask. The aim at that stage was not gold.
On competing at London 2012: I’m sure I will be there but I’ve yet to get back into that mentality where I’m going to set my goals and targets because there are lots of different options. I could carry on and just do the same event or I can look to medal in another cycling discipline. Or I could take on a target of trying to get two gold medals.
On moving into sport number three: The option has definitely been put my way and it would be advisable to start on that now if I am going to! It’s a massive draw because I’ve done something pretty special but there have been others that have done it and others that will do it again I’m sure.
To try and do something that no other Olympian has done before is very appealing. The idea grabs me but the reality of it is probably pretty impossible. It’s not just a case of going down the list of Olympic sports and saying oh I fancy that. It’s an idea that’s out there but it’s a very difficult one to explore.
On possible options for sport number three: There are a few that are definite no’s, like running, as you can’t just switch to that at my age. A sport that is closely linked to what I’ve done before and to the skills that I have would be favourable such as canoeing or kayaking. Or perhaps a throwing event in athletics or even beach volleyball. But I’ve probably exhausted all my talents!
On the British Cycling squad: I don’t think there are those real close friendships. I didn’t bond with people in the same way as I did in the rowing team just because of the nature of the training. In the cycling team you go away as an individual and train by yourself quite a lot so it’s very different to the team element of rowing.
On the success of the cyclists in Beijing: Going in as an individual and having a massive personal drive to win, you are so involved in your own events. But then at the same time you feed off the success of the whole team.
It’s one thing to go to the Olympic Games and come back as Olympic Champion but to come back as a part of one of the best Olympic teams ever is really special. You know that you have given a part to that and as much as all the other athletes have inspired me and pushed me to get my performance I know I would have been part of that for them too.
On getting into the Olympic squad: It’s tough as the British cycling team can only take three female cyclists to compete on the track - that was Victoria (Pendleton), Wendy (Houvenaghel) and myself. That’s it!
On staying in sport after she retires from competition: I think it is really important I do because I can give back to the sport that has given me so much. Hopefully I am able to impart any knowledge that I have from what I achieved to other people.
On inspiring more girls to take up cycling: I hope I am doing that. It’s a really positive thing because as soon as there are more girls coming into the sport it will raise the profile of women’s cycling as a whole. At the moment there is an imbalance between the events for men and women at the Games so hopefully this will help to even out the balance.
Quick fire:
What is your favourite meal? Breakfast will always be my favourite meal of the day. I love orange juice, coffee, croissants and crunchy cereal.
If you could go on any reality TV show what would it be? It would certainly not be one that is just like a popularity contest I think it would be something where I would have to learn a new skill. Maybe Dancing On Ice!
What do you listen to most on your iPod? I like Muse, The Kooks and The Killers
What is your favourite book? I always recommend people read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.
Louise Hudson, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
