Anna Blyth

Anna Blyth

Anna Blyth - former junior World Champion

"National Lottery funding has enabled me to become full-time, and I couldn't survive without this and the brilliant facilities in Manchester."

Sport: Cycling

Date of Birth: 17th Feb 1989

From: Leeds, North East England

Lottery backed: 3 years

A brilliant example of the production line from one of Britain's most successful Olympic sports.

Blyth has been cycling competitively for only seven years but in that time has stacked up a collection of impressive honours, including being junior World champion in the Keirin in 2006.

Since then, in the senior ranks, she has won the Team Sprint title with Olympic gold medallist Victoria Pendleton at the 2008 British National Track Championships.

In 2009, she won the Scratch race in the under-23 category at the European Track Championships in Minsk, further success since she was offered a place at British cycling's Sprint Academy. A decision that worked as she set new personal best times after joining the academy as the extra work load reaped superb benefits.

At the academy she was able to switch from being on the track a few times each month to three to four times a day, six days a week, at the Manchester Velodrome.

The World Championships in Melbourne and Commonwealth Games in New Dehli mean it is a big year ahead.