Victoria Louise Pendleton, (born 24 September 1980) is a British
jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
and former
track cyclist who specialised in the
sprint,
team sprint
The team sprint (also sometimes known as the Olympic sprint) is a track cycling event. Despite its name, it is not a conventional cycling sprint event – it is a three-rider team time trial held over three laps of a velodrome.
The current men's ...
and
keirin
– literally "racing cycle" – is a form of motor-paced cycle racing in which track cyclists sprint for victory following a speed-controlled start behind a motorized or non-motorized pacer. It was developed in Japan around 1948 for gamblin ...
disciplines. She is a former
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
, World,
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
and
Commonwealth champion. With two Olympic gold medals and one silver, Pendleton is one of Great Britain's most successful female Olympians.
Pendleton represented Great Britain and England in international cycling competition, winning nine world titles including a record six in the individual sprint, dominating the event between 2005 and 2012. In 2008 she won the
sprint in the
Beijing Olympics, and in 2012, she won the gold medal in the
keirin
– literally "racing cycle" – is a form of motor-paced cycle racing in which track cyclists sprint for victory following a speed-controlled start behind a motorized or non-motorized pacer. It was developed in Japan around 1948 for gamblin ...
at the
London Olympics, as well as silver in the
sprint.
She was appointed
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(MBE) in the
2009 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 2009 were announced on 31 December 2008 in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Christopher and Nevis,Saint Christopher. to ...
and
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(CBE) in the
2013 New Year Honours for services to cycling. As a gold medalist at European, World and Olympic level, Pendleton is also a member of the
European Cycling Union
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
Hall of Fame.
Early life
Pendleton and her
twin
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
brother Alex were born on 24 September 1980 at
Stotfold
Stotfold is a small town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England.
Stotfold is thought to have gained its name from the northern drovers breaking their journey south at this point on the A1 Great North Road and penning their horses (stot ...
,
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...
, England, to Max Pendleton, a keen cyclist and former British National 8 km grass track cycling champion, and Pauline Viney. She has an older sister, Nicola Jane.
Career
Early years
Pendleton rode her first race, a 400m event on the grass track a
Mildenhall Cycling Club's Fordham Sports Day and Grass-Track meeting at nine. Pendleton showed her promise at 13 and was spotted three years later by the assistant national track coach, Marshal Thomas. At that time she wanted to concentrate on her education at
Fearnhill School
Fearnhill School is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, England.
Admissions
Fearnhill School (formerly Letchworth Grammar School) is a foundation comprehensive school located in Letchworth Garden Ci ...
in
Letchworth Garden City
Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town in the North Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. It is noted for being the first garden city. The population at the time of the 2011 census was 33,249.
Letchworth ...
, and later a degree in Sport and Exercise Science by
Northumbria University,
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
. She enjoyed some success on the track as a student before graduating and becoming a full-time cyclist.
Journey to the top
Pendleton won one bronze and three silver medals in the
British National Track Championships
The British National Track Championships are held annually and organised by British Cycling (formerly the British Cycling Federation). The main events are various track cycling disciplines for elite athletes to determine the British national cha ...
in 2001, while still a student. Between 2002 and 2004 she was a trainee at the
World Cycling Centre
The World Cycling Centre (WCC, french: Centre Mondial du Cyclisme) is a coaching and training centre in Aigle, Switzerland. It contains a indoor velodrome, a BMX racing track and other non-cycling facilities. It was built in 2002 to celebrate the ...
in
Aigle
, neighboring_municipalities= Vaud: Yvorne, Leysin, Ormont-Dessous, Ollon; Valais: Vouvry, Collombey-Muraz
, twintowns = L'Aigle (France), Tübingen (Germany), Bassersdorf (Switzerland)
}
Aigle ( French for "eagle", ; frp, Âgllo) is ...
, Switzerland. She qualified for the
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XVII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Manchester 2002 were held in Manchester, England, from 25 July to 4 August, 2002. The 2002 Games were to be hosted in the United Kingdom to coin ...
team, finishing fourth in the sprint. She again came fourth in the sprint at the
2003 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
and the
2004 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
. She ranked 2nd overall in the World Cup for the sprint in 2004, winning the World Cup event in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
.
At the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
, she finished sixth in the
time trial In many racing sports, an athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athlete or team sets off at ...
and ninth in the 200 m
sprint.
Pendleton won her first major medal with gold in the sprint at the
2005 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. She became the third British woman to become a cycling world champion in 40 years.
At the
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006 (Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm 2006'' or ''Naarm 2006''), was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth held ...
in Melbourne, she won silver in the 500 m time trial and gold in the sprint.
At the
2007 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, she won the
team sprint
The team sprint (also sometimes known as the Olympic sprint) is a track cycling event. Despite its name, it is not a conventional cycling sprint event – it is a three-rider team time trial held over three laps of a velodrome.
The current men's ...
with
Shanaze Reade
Shanaze Danielle Reade (born 23 September 1988 in Crewe, Cheshire, United Kingdom) is a British former bicycle motocross (BMX) racer and track cyclist whose prime competitive years began in 2002. She has won the UCI BMX World Championships th ...
, the individual gold in the
sprint, and a third gold in the
keirin
– literally "racing cycle" – is a form of motor-paced cycle racing in which track cyclists sprint for victory following a speed-controlled start behind a motorized or non-motorized pacer. It was developed in Japan around 1948 for gamblin ...
. She crowned the year by being named ''
Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'' Sportswoman of the Year for 2007, becoming the first cyclist to win the award in its 20-year history. Pendleton was also voted
Sports Journalists' Association's sportswoman of the year for 2007.
![Victoria Pendleton](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Victoria_Pendleton.jpg)
During her build-up to the Olympics she won two gold medals at the
2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place at the Manchester Velodrome in Manchester, United Kingdom from 26 to 30 March 2008. Eighteen events were scheduled; the women's team pur ...
in the
sprint, and the
team sprint
The team sprint (also sometimes known as the Olympic sprint) is a track cycling event. Despite its name, it is not a conventional cycling sprint event – it is a three-rider team time trial held over three laps of a velodrome.
The current men's ...
, again with Reade. She was also second in the
keirin
– literally "racing cycle" – is a form of motor-paced cycle racing in which track cyclists sprint for victory following a speed-controlled start behind a motorized or non-motorized pacer. It was developed in Japan around 1948 for gamblin ...
. At the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...
, Pendleton won the gold medal in the
sprint.
She retained her title in the
sprint at the
2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in
Pruszków
Pruszków ( yi, פּרושקאָוו) is a city in east-central Poland, situated in the Masovian Voivodeship since 1999. It was previously in Warszawa Voivodeship (1975–1998). Pruszków is the capital of Pruszków County, located along t ...
. Each sprint was so closely matched it required several photos, leaving Pendleton emotional but victorious over her Dutch opponent,
Willy Kanis
Willy Kanis (born 27 July 1984) in Kampen) is a Dutch female professional racing cyclist.
Career highlights
;2003
:2nd 500 m, Dutch National Track Championships
:2nd Sprint, Dutch National Track Championships
;2004
:2nd 500 m, Dutch National ...
.
At the
2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships Pendleton won a silver in the
team sprint
The team sprint (also sometimes known as the Olympic sprint) is a track cycling event. Despite its name, it is not a conventional cycling sprint event – it is a three-rider team time trial held over three laps of a velodrome.
The current men's ...
, a bronze medal in the
sprint and finished seventh in the
keirin
– literally "racing cycle" – is a form of motor-paced cycle racing in which track cyclists sprint for victory following a speed-controlled start behind a motorized or non-motorized pacer. It was developed in Japan around 1948 for gamblin ...
. Partnering
Jess Varnish, Pendleton won the team sprint in her only event at the British Championships. At the
2011 European Track Championships Pendleton won the
team sprint
The team sprint (also sometimes known as the Olympic sprint) is a track cycling event. Despite its name, it is not a conventional cycling sprint event – it is a three-rider team time trial held over three laps of a velodrome.
The current men's ...
and
keirin
– literally "racing cycle" – is a form of motor-paced cycle racing in which track cyclists sprint for victory following a speed-controlled start behind a motorized or non-motorized pacer. It was developed in Japan around 1948 for gamblin ...
titles, but only came eighth in the
sprint.
In February 2012 Pendleton and Varnish set a new world team sprint record of 32.754 seconds, beating
Kaarle McCulloch
Kaarle McCulloch (born 20 January 1988) is an Australian former professional track cyclist and four time World Champion in the team sprint. She also won three golds at the Commonwealth Games and an Olympic bronze medal. She qualified for the Tok ...
and
Anna Meares of Australia at the Track World Cup in the
London Velodrome
Lee Valley VeloPark is a cycling centre on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, London, England. It is owned and managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, and it was opened to the public in March 2014. The facility was one of the p ...
. In the sprint and the keirin Pendleton came 4th and 5th respectively. In Pendleton's final
2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships she won the
sprint, her sixth title. She fell in the first heat of the semi-final against Meares. In the second heat Meares was relegated for going outside her lane. In the decider Pendleton won in a photo finish before defeating
Simona Krupeckaitė
Simona Krupeckaitė (born 13 December 1982) is a Lithuanian former professional track cyclist. She is the 2009 500 m Time Trial World Champion and World Record holder at 33.296s, and the 2010 Keirin World Champion. She also won the 2009, 2010 ...
, winning 2–0 with the second win coming from another relegation. Pendleton finished without medals in her other two events.
![Victoria Pendleton2 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Victoria_Pendleton2_%28cropped%29.jpg)
At the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, Pendleton and Varnish broke the world record in the qualifying stages of the
team sprint
The team sprint (also sometimes known as the Olympic sprint) is a track cycling event. Despite its name, it is not a conventional cycling sprint event – it is a three-rider team time trial held over three laps of a velodrome.
The current men's ...
before being relegated in the semi-finals. She recovered to win a gold medal in the
keirin
– literally "racing cycle" – is a form of motor-paced cycle racing in which track cyclists sprint for victory following a speed-controlled start behind a motorized or non-motorized pacer. It was developed in Japan around 1948 for gamblin ...
. Pendleton set a new Olympic record of 10.724 seconds in the qualifiers of the
sprint but lost in the final to Anna Meares, after being controversially relegated in the first run and being beaten in the second run, earning a silver medal. This would be Pendleton's final competitive race as she retired from professional cycling.
Horse racing
In March 2015, Pendleton announced her intention to become a jockey with the aim of competing at the
Foxhunter Chase
Foxhunter (1940–1959) was a champion show jumping horse ridden by Harry Llewellyn, best known for their part in securing Great Britain at the 1952 Summer Olympics, Great Britain's only gold medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics (in the Equestrian at ...
at the 2016
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Ra ...
, with guidance from horse trainer
Paul Nicholls. She made her competitive debut in August 2015, finishing second in the Betfair Novice Flat Amateur Riders' Handicap at
Ripon
Ripon () is a cathedral city in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the River Ure, the Laver and Skell. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the city ...
riding Royal Etiquette. She won her first race on 2 March 2016, guiding 5–4 favourite Pacha Du Polder to victory at
Wincanton
Wincanton ( or ) is a small town and electoral ward in South Somerset, southwest England. The town lies off the A303 road, a main route between London and South West England, and has some light industry. The town and electoral ward has a populati ...
.
On 18 March 2016, Pendleton, again riding Pacha Du Polder, achieved her ambition of participating in the 2016 Foxhunter Chase, at
Cheltenham
Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
, outperforming many pundits' expectations by finishing fifth. She described the result as "probably the greatest achievement of my life".
Outside sport
![Victoria Pendleton Postbox Stotfold 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Victoria_Pendleton_Postbox_Stotfold_2017.jpg)
Pendleton featured on the cover of the July 2009 issue of men's magazine ''
FHM
''FHM'' (For Him Magazine) is a British multinational men's lifestyle magazine that was published in several countries. Its master edition contained features such as the ''FHM'' 100 Sexiest Women in the World, which has featured models, actres ...
''. She featured in the January 2012 issue of ''
Harper's Bazaar
''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...
'' magazine. In February 2012,
Halfords
Halfords Group PLC is the UK's largest retailer of motoring and cycling products and services. Through Halfords Autocentre, they provide vehicle servicing, MOT, maintenance and repairs in the United Kingdom.
Halfords Group is listed on the Lon ...
released a Pendleton branded range of women's bikes including the Somerton (a
city bike
A utility bicycle, city bicycle, urban bicycle, European city bike (ECB), Dutch bike, classic bike or simply city-bike, is a bicycle designed for frequent very short, very slow rides through very flat urban areas. It is a form of utility bicycl ...
), the Initial (a
road bicycle
The term road bicycle is used to describe bicycles built for traveling at speed on paved roads. Some sources use the term to mean racing bicycle. Other sources specifically exclude racing bicycles from the definition, using the term to mean a ...
) the Brooke and the Dalby (both
hybrid bikes) on which Pendleton herself had worked as a design consultant. She was a "brand ambassador" for
Pantene
Pantene () is a brand of hair care products owned by Procter & Gamble. The product line was first introduced in Europe in 1945 by Hoffmann-La Roche, which branded the name based on panthenol as a shampoo ingredient. It was purchased by Procter ...
hair-care products in the advent to London 2012. She was the subject of a
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. She was the seventh of the fourteen celebrities to leave the show on 25 November.
Pendleton's autobiography ''Between the Lines'' was published following her retirement in September 2012.
At the
before her keynote speech on 30 September, speaking about the importance of sport in education. She said, "if you want more children to leave school healthy and prepared for life in modern Britain, with everything that will be thrown at them, you might as well give them a sporting chance."
In 2016 Pendleton partnered with
, joining as a Difference Maker for the Clinique Difference Initiative, with an aim to inspire women and support the provision of educational and healthcare support.
In May 2018 she was forced to abandon a charity
at Base Camp 2 at 6400 m (20,977 ft) when she experienced hypoxia, caused by a lack of oxygen. Fogle managed to reach the summit. It took her three weeks of antibiotics to get over chest and ear infections.
Pendleton's relationship with Scott Gardner, a sports scientist with the British Cycling coaching team, caused some problems for the couple, as it was felt to be unprofessional for two members of the team to be romantically involved. Following the 2008 Olympics, when it became more widely known, Gardner was obliged to leave the team, though he was later re-hired. Pendleton and Gardner married in September 2013. In July 2018, Pendleton announced the break up of her marriage.
For her 30th birthday, Pendleton had a line from
" tattooed onto her right arm. In 2012, she was living in
.
In 2019, Pendleton stated that she had suffered severe depression and had contemplated suicide after her failed Everest expedition, and an "unpleasant" divorce from her husband.
In 2019 Pendleton competed on Channel 4's SAS Celebrity SU2C, "Who Dares, Wins" series. During COVID-19 in 2020 she posted on Instagram that she was fortunate to share lockdown with Louis Tinsley, ex-SBS operator and co-founder of clothing firm ThruDark, whom she is dating.
Pendleton was accused of creating a "toxic atmosphere" during the filming of ITV's "Don't Rock The Boat" in November 2020 by crew mate Craig Charles. Defending herself she suggested her twin brother Alex, as a man, would have been treated differently. In 2021 she co-commentated on the woman's road racing cycling final as part of the BBCs Olympic 2020 coverage as their pundit in Tokyo.