Miraculously, Laura Trott won her battle for life as a newborn baby. Even more incredibly, she is now tipped for two gold medals at the Olympics
On track: Laura Trott is tipped for gold joy
THERE was no easy way for doctors to break the news to proud parents Glenda and Adrian Trott – their newborn daughter was seriously ill and she was unlikely to survive.
Tiny Laura, who was born a month prematurely by caesarean section, had suffered a collapsed lung and was struggling to breathe. For more than six weeks they kept a vigil in the special baby care unit as she battled for her life. Miraculously, Laura pulled through. Even more incredibly, she is tipped for two gold medals at the Olympics. Laura, 20, who is barely 5ft and weighs eight stone, is a double world cycling champion in the team pursuit and the omnium, a six-discipline event which is similar to the decathlon. Laura says: “It’s hard to believe I’ve gone from fighting for my life to being a world champion and competing in the Games. “It was really hard for my mum and dad in those first few weeks. The doctors told them that they didn’t think I was going to live. "It was really touch and go. It must have been awful for my mum because as she’d had a caesarean she wasn’t allowed to see me until she was better too.”
Top team: Laura with her mum
Doctors urged Laura’s parents to get her involved in sport to strengthen the lung which caused her so many problems.
She took up trampolining and by 11 was just below the level to reach the British national side. But she had to give the sport up as she kept fainting while practising complex moves in training. Laura says: “They did tests and couldn’t find anything wrong but it meant I had to stop trampolining.” It is thanks to her mum and an embarrassing holiday in the United States that Laura became hooked on cycling. She says: “It was 12 years ago and we were having a family holiday visiting the theme parks. "Mum was a size 24 and struggling to get on some of the rides. And she was really upset when she was told that she could not go on a cable car as she weighed too much. “After our holiday we went back home and she swore she was going to lose weight so she wouldn’t have to go through that again. "We went swimming and someone there told my mum she should take a look at the cycling track at Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire which wasn’t far from where we lived. “My mum, sister and I went down on a Friday night to watch the racing and gave it a go the following Monday. “That was that. We all really loved it. We were hooked and the weight soon started falling off mum. She lost eight-and-a-half stone in 18 months just from cycling and has kept it off ever since. She’s a size 10 now.
Winners: Joanna Rowsell, right, Laura Trott and Danielle King, left
“We joke about it now, but if mum wasn’t so overweight I wouldn’t have got into cycling. So cycling has really benefited the whole family.”
Laura readily admits that cycling has been her life from the age of 12. She says: “I became obsessed. I’ve had to make lots of sacrifices. I never got to play out in the street with my friends as I was always training, so it was tough when I was younger. “Then when I reached my late-teens all my friends were out partying and getting drunk and obviously I couldn’t do that. “But to be honest I wasn’t that bothered. I don’t even like getting drunk. I just think it’s a bit pointless. The thing that bothered me was not being able to go out with my friends. But it’s not that my life is so strict I can never have a good time. I just don’t enjoy going out and spending a lot of money getting hammered. “I don’t see the point in wasting money on nothing. You don’t get anything out of it. You just ruin your health.” Laura prefers to spend her time with boyfriend Sam Harrison, who is in GB’s senior cycling team, playing FIFA 12 on their Xbox. “Because he’s a cyclist too, we do similar things together,” says Laura, whose family live within sight of the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. “We go to the cinema and we both just like lazy evenings on the sofa as well.
Riding high: Laura with her gold medal
"He’s in the same world as me, so it means I’m not pressurised to go out. I know it’s pretty sad but we’ve got an Xbox that we’re always playing.
“I really like FIFA. I know it’s not a girl’s game but I enjoy it. I’m Tottenham. I’m a huge Spurs fan. I’m still gutted after they were beaten by Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final.” With the Olympics less than 100 days away, Laura had to put celebrations for her 20th birthday this week on hold. She says: “Because of the timing I didn’t have a big party. I was travelling because I had a stage race in the Czech Republic. It was a quiet birthday but it’s OK because it was only my 20th. “Fortunately my 21st is next year. The timing couldn’t be any better – it’s not an Olympic year so I’ll make up for it then!” Laura’s also has to cope with a stomach condition which means that she is sick after nearly every race. She says: “I’ve got a high acid lining in my stomach. So when I try hard or tense my stomach muscles it causes problems. “It doesn’t even bother me any more. At least it shows that I’m trying.” If Laura lives up to predictions and is one of the stars of Team GB, she is likely to step out of the shadows. And she is also looking forward to getting a bit more attention. She says: “I’ve not been recognised by anyone walking around on the streets yet. I suppose it would be very weird if it did happen, but it would also be quite cool.
Celebration: Danielle, Laura and Joanna at the World Championships
I went to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010, but a lot of the big names didn’t go then because of the health issues surrounding the event.
“This time everyone will be there and I can’t wait. I’m really looking forward to it. I reckon I’ll be one of those people that will just walk round the Village open-mouthed looking at all the celebrities. I’ll be like a little kid. “If I could meet just one person it would definitely be sprinter Usain Bolt. I just think he’s awesome. It would be amazing to meet him.” Laura is immensely proud to have helped spark a resurgence of cycling in the UK in recent years. The success of the teenager and her fellow Team Sky British cyclists has led to millions of people getting back on two wheels. She says: “Everywhere I go there are people cycling. It makes me so proud, cycling is definitely the best form of transport.”
Courtesy: www.paulcooperphotographer.com
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