Shanaze Reade

Reade – Pendleton celebrate Gold at Track Championships 2008

Shanaze Reade was born in Crewe, in 1988. She has always been interested in sports; her first interest was athletics – 100m spring and the shot put. However, after seeing a bmx race she decided to switch sports and soon began competiting in bmx races. Shanaze Reade would often beat, not just other girls, but, also men.

In 2002, her cycling career become more serious and she won a number of junior UCI European titles.

In 2007, she won the UCI Bmx World title, aged only 17. In 2007, she also made the switch to track racing and successfully won the 2007 team sprint title with Victoria Pendleton. This world title was despite very little track training. In 2007, Shanaze Reade was awarded the Sunday Times young sportsperson of the year award. Her world track title was repeated in the 2008 World Championships held in Manchester, where she again partnered Victoria Pendleton to Gold.

2008 Beijing Olympics

Shanaze Reade is Great Britain’s sole representative in the BMX event – In the Olympics for the first time.

• shanzereade.com