GOLD medallist Nicole Cooke will take her pride of place at the head of the Olympic parade in London today – but is already focused on helping the next generation when the Games come to Britain in 2012.
The 25-year-old from south Wales won the first of what would become a 19-gold haul for Team GB – their best performance since 1908 – in Beijing with victory in the women's road race.
Along with the likes of Chris Hoy, a triple champion this summer
, she will be on the lead float as the athletes are honoured in a procession through the capital, which finishes in Trafalgar Square and will be followed by a royal reception with the Queen and London mayor Boris Johnson at Buckingham Palace at night.
While she certainly now has nothing to prove after also adding the 2008 world title to her Olympic crown in a "dream year", Cooke is already looking towards the future.
Her book, Cycle for Life, is set to be released tomorrow and the Welsh rider is also engaged in a number of other projects aimed at boosting Britain's chances of more medal glory when London takes centre stage in four years' time.
"My own racing motivation is still there, and that means looking towards the next Olympics and developing myself as much as I can," Cooke said.
"I still have the love for the sport, I still feel healthy and strong, with the desire to race. But it is also about things like seeing my mum and dad's lounge packed with cards and stuff when I got home, reading them all and seeing just how many people were inspired by me and excited by cycling.
"I realised I had an opportunity there which I should use, and thinking about what I should do with it. The book was already in the pipeline, but it is also things like working with charities and I know that I have performed best as part of a team set-up.
"If I can try to recreate what would be the ideal set-up for British riders and then pass on my experience to help them and see them improve, that would be incredible.
"If then, in four years' time, I could look back and say I helped someone achieve their dream like I was able to achieve my dream – that is the sort of thing which is beyond anything you can describe."
The full article contains 414 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
