I think Team GB will be the top nation in the cycling, they won't dominate in the same way that we have at the last two Games before Rio 2016 but I am expecting four gold medals and maybe three minor medals.

Chris Hoy

Categorized in : Sports

Training can be monotonous, and it is hard work, but you never lose sight of why you are doing it. Every single effort of every single session counts in the months and years leading up to a big event.

hard-work sight years

If you go to the line knowing you have given it absolutely 100% in every training session you have done, you know that there's nothing else you could have done and that helps you to deal with the pressure.

training done knowing

The support is absolutely crucial. If you have the right people helping you in the lead up to a major event, then you know when you're lining up to start the race you have them there with you, willing you on. And I'm not only referring to the coaches, mechanics, physios, administrators, but also family and friends.

support race people

When you're on your own you have control over most of the variables involved in the preparation and the race itself, whilst in a team event you are only a part of the overall picture. The real upside of being part of a team is the fact that when you're successful in a race you can share the celebrations together.

team real successful

Even when you feel as though everything is 100% it can still go wrong on the night (like in Melbourne!) so you never know for sure that you're going to do the performance you expect.

melbourne feels night

I don't tend to listen to music in training, except maybe the radio in the gym. I do use music prior to racing though; it helps to fire me up plus it's good for blocking out the distractions around me.

block racing fire

I worked closely with Steve Peters, the British Cycling team's psychologist, and we came up with a strategy of dealing with the pressure. It basically involved displacing the negative thoughts with visualisation. Not a complicated technique, but very effective if done properly. I just kept running through the race in my head over and over so that I wouldn't let the distractions around me put me off.

cycling team running

I listen to a variety of stuff on my iPod: Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Public Enemy, Foo Fighters, anything that gets my adrenalin flowing.

ipods brother enemy

In that moment, my whole life changed, i completely misjudged the dive and went into the seabed. I hit my head and blacked out for a few seconds.

The doctor was pretty blunt about it and told me I'd never be able to use my arms or legs again, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I wasn't really in the frame of mind where I could really process that -- I was as ill as I could be.

It's quite cool to be able to pick something to draw or paint and know that I can recreate it, with a pencil I can add a lot of detail and with paint I can bring a picture to life.

If it wasn't for the accident then I'd probably be leading a very boring life at the moment -- I don't know what I'd be doing, i didn't have a set plan for my future but my accident has given me opportunities I could only dream of and I've got to visit places and meet people I would 100 % never have met if it wasn't for the accident.

It's an honor to be able to do this kind of thing, i hope to do a diary column and also a front cover -- and then in October I have my own exhibition at my old college. It's a busy time for me.

I knew I had to find something deep in my mind to push through ev... by Chris Hoy

I knew I had to find something deep in my mind to push through everything.