Victoria Pendleton will be remembered as one of Britain's best-ever but she's currently devoting her time to a different sport.

The 44-year-old etched her name into the annals of history by clinching gold in the sprint in the 2008 in Beijing before doubling down with a gold and a silver in the respective keirin and sprint events of the However, she bowed out of the sport after that famed summer, with a collection of European and Commonwealth titles also bolstering her glittering resume.

Despite a wealth of success in her respective field, had suffered away from the velodrome - with her team relationship breaking down and feeling "bullied" leading up to the 2012 Games. Pendleton also suffered a series of unfortunate setbacks in her personal life, from the breakdown of her marriage to the tragic death of her twin brother, as well as finding herself "minutes away" from taking her own life due to severe depression.

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Pendleton showed courage in the face of adversity and has since found a "new lease of life" while accomplishing her "greatest ever achievement" and even finding love once more. Here are the ups and downs of the Olympic cyclist's life after bowing down from the sport, as reported by .

Pendleton stepped away from cycling following the 2012 London Olympics, leaving the sport as one of Great Britain's most successful female Olympians. And while the choice to part ways with her field was her own, she later admitted that she felt as though she had been "bullied out of the team" as her relationship with coaches broke down.

Speaking to the Guardian in 2024, Pendleton explained how she felt as though her team respected rival Anna Meares more than her. She entered a relationship with sports scientist Scott Gardner ahead of the 2008 Olympics, keeping it a secret from other team members until after the event.

When the relationship came to light, Pendleton was accused of betraying her team, which left her distraught. She explained: "They were so upset with me – disgusted, like I’d committed a crime. But the relationship didn’t make me any less of an athlete or any less professional or any less successful.

"It should have been the happiest moment of my life, and it was taken away because some people’s egos were hurt because they weren’t told, because we were told not to tell them."

Pendleton also said that her coaches left the Olympic Village without saying goodbye following her gold and silver wins at the 2012 Games.

She said: "I did feel very much bullied out of the team. I twisted the story to make it sound like it was my own choosing, whereas the reality was I didn’t have the strength to walk in there another day. After my last event, everybody was disappointed because I only won silver. My coaches left the village without saying goodbye. I didn’t expect them to. Why would they? They were glad to be rid of me."

Following cycling, Pendleton competed on wrote her memoirs, and moved into the of punditry - but she was unable to shake a feeling of disappointment over her cycling days.

She explained: "I always felt like a fraud. I felt so disappointed in myself and what I achieved. I don’t know when the time will be that I’ll look back and feel proud."

Pendleton and Gardner married in 2013 but separated just five years later. Pendleton wrote on social media at the time: "Despite our best efforts in trying to make our marriage work, we have come to the decision to go our separate ways. It has been an extremely difficult time and a tough decision to make.

"We want to look ahead to the future and stay positive. We would both gratefully appreciate our privacy being respected as we navigate what is a deeply personal time for us."

However, the following year, things got even tougher for the former cyclist, who was forced to abandon an ascent to Mount Everest at 21,000 feet after showing signs of hypoxia.

Doctors gave her medication for the issue but explained that oxygen deprivation can cause depression - something Pendleton was later diagnosed with. In an interview with The Telegraph, Pendleton explained that her mental health problems were so severe that she almost took her own life.

She said: "Everything I took made me feel less like myself. There were mornings I woke up and I thought, 'I don't want to see the end of the day."

Thankfully, Pendleton turned a corner, adding: "That doesn't mean I won't be more cautious in the future, if I start to feel similar symptoms. But I feel I'd be better prepared at least. I guess that's why I'm speaking out now. In case my personal experience can trigger something of use and value for someone else."

In 2023, Pendleton suffered more heartache when her twin brother, Alex, passed away at the age of just 42 due to a brain tumour. Posting a picture of herself with her brother, Pendleton wrote: "If you know me then you likely know my twin brother Alex, I just wanted to let you know that this morning Alex sadly passed away after an epic battle against an aggressive brain tumour. He will be painfully missed by many. Rest in peace my kind, brave twinnie, you will forever be in our hearts."

Later in the year, Pendleton took on a highwire challenge for and Stand Up 2 Cancer, where she broke down in tears while explaining: "I can't do this without thinking about my brother.

"My brother is here, always. And I would do anything to help him." She also paid tribute to her brother by getting his name tattooed across her chest.

In 2015, Betfair reached out to Pendleton to set her the challenge of taking up with the aim of taking part in the 2016 Despite never even sitting on a horse before, she made her debut just five months after taking to the saddle, finishing second in the Betfair Novice Flat Amateur Riders' Handicap at Ripon.

She then claimed her first win the following year, riding 5-4 favourite Pacha Du Polder to victory in Wincanton. Later in the month, Pendleton took place in the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham, finishing fifth despite being a huge outsider. Dubbing the happening as "probably the greatest achievement of my life," Pendleton said: "I'm overwhelmed - thank you to everyone who has made this possible. I feel honoured.

"I can't believe I did it and I got around. There are things I would like to do again but this horse is a legend. It's the most fun I have ever had." She also later told the Guardian of her new-found love for the track: "I found something I wanted to get out of bed for. I lived and breathed like an exercise jockey for 18 months. I’d come to the yard, ride two or three horses, maybe four or five if I felt like it.

"You wash the horses after, tack up a new horse, do the training for the horses, and I loved it. Absolutely loved it. It was a whole new lease of life, and if I’d not done the cycling that opportunity would never have come my way. It was the most exhilarating and rewarding moment of my life."

The year following her split from Gardner, Pendleton met former special forces man Louis Tinsley during her time on Channel 4's SAS: Who Dares Wins. After the series, the two started a relationship - with the two even spending lockdown together. In the years since, the two have shared an abundance of photos together on social media, and seem happier than ever.

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