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."

A brilliant example of the production line from one of Britain's most successful Olympic Games sports, Blyth is progressing towards a superb future with London 2012 on the horizon.

She has been cycling competitively for only six 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 Games gold medallist Victoria Pendleton at last year's British National Track Championships.

This year she won the Scratch race at the European Track Championships, 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. For 2009, Anna has turned her focus to endurance cycling and has competed in some prestigious road races across Europe.

But she knows the importance that The National Lottery and its players have had in her progression.