I didn’t know that about Victoria Pendleton and her father. I do wonder how many Olympians and other successful athletes had very pushy parents when they were younger. Horse racing is so different from cycling I suspect that you’re right. Horses are really unpredictable, that’s why I used to love riding so much. I only had a couple of nasty falls and both were completely my fault. At least my horse was polite and waited for me when I’d fallen off, my friends horse used to run off and was a nightmare to catch. I wouldn’t want to cycle on the roads where I live; there are far too many inconsiderate drivers. Long distance walking could be an option for me once my heel settles down.

I love the fact there are so many more team sports open to girls now. Such a lot has changed for the better. At school it was either netball (my violin teacher banned me from taking part in case I broke a finger) or hockey (also banned) in the winter. In the summer I had the choice of cricket (still banned) or rounders (definitely banned!). Fortunately, I loved running so did cross country during the winter and the 5000m during the summer. I have looked at becoming a coach but I need to save up some money to attend a training course.

I’ve always wanted to try orienteering Kyra. I thought the aim was to complete the course as quickly as possible, I didn’t realise that walking was an option and was slightly concerned I wouldn’t be able to navigate and run! I think there’s an orienteering club quite near; I’ll have to do some research. Thanks for the link to your experiences as a newbie; I really like the idea of orienteering in the dark.

It’s such a tough question isn’t it! I can honestly say I’ve never even given climbing a thought. I suspect my weak upper body strength and long limbs might be a slight disadvantage. I’ll definitely give it a go at some stage. I’m not a fan of cycling and my Swimathon training has made me hate swimming. Someone suggested that I try a modern pentathlon. While I hate swimming, I enjoy fencing, shooting, horse-riding and cross country running. If only I was a bit younger!