Dani King is a member of the Wiggle Honda pro cycling team. She has World Championship and Olympic wins under her belt in the team pursuit but deep down she’s just like the rest of us!
What did you have for breakfast?
I had a big breakfast. I had porridge with goji berries and chai seeds. Then I had two boiled eggs, a yoghurt and an Actimel. The reason I was so hungry is because I did an hour on the turbo before breakfast!
Turbo trainer or rollers?Eeeem turbo, you can relax a bit more on the turbo, you can sit up and stretch. If you lose concentration on the rollers that could be a disaster zone.
What is your favourite piece of kit?I love a gilet and I love a neckwarmer
What is your favourite movie?My all-time favourite is Matilda. I had tickets to see it in west end but I couldn’t go because of the accident. The girls bought me tickets as a present– Laura and Jo and the track girls. Awww I really want to go!
What is your favourite book?I read ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ – that was amazing!
With the exception of cycling, what’s your favourite thing to do?Socialise with my boyfriend. Go on holiday.
Who is your biggest inspiration?Oh this is a hard one, so many people inspire me. All of those close to me. I really look up to my Dad, he competed at two Winter Olympics, so he has been a massive role model to me. In terms of cycling role models, it would have to be Chris Hoy, he is such a genuinely nice person on and off the bike. He has always been there to offer advice and has always been there to help. You would think a guy who has had that success would be pretty bug headed but he really isn’t. I look up to that as being really humbling.
Do you have any hidden talents?Not really. I am doing an open uni degree. I know that’s not really a talent. I am just doing an open degree. At the moment I am doing a module on sports psychology which is really interesting. I am about halfway through getting my BA degree. So it is something I have been doing on the side.
I think it’s important to think about life after cycling. It’s also nice to be able to switch off from cycling, I think that’s really healthy. I also don’t want to just lose my brain cells because I was ok in school and I enjoyed education. SO it is nice to have something else to talk about.
If you weren’t a pro cyclist what would you be?Definitely something in sport. I think just an athlete of some other description. When I was younger that’s all I wanted to do – just be an elite athlete. I didn’t know what sport at the time. I never really wanted to do anything else.
Pizza, Sunday roast or BBQ?Oh that is such a hard question. I love them all so much. You can’t beat a roast though.
If you could have a cup of tea with anyone in the world who would it be?Will i Am. I think that would be absolutely amazing. I love him on The Voice, he has me in hysterics.
Would you rather always lose or never compete?Always lose. Definitely. Oh to not compete would be horrendous. I would lose every day.
Also worth a read:
Interview: Rochelle GIlmore on taking women’s cycling to the next level
