0:00:03 > 0:00:05To win,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08to be the best,
0:00:08 > 0:00:12takes raw talent, determination,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15drive, and sheer grit.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Starting off as a young athlete from Wolverhampton,
0:00:22 > 0:00:24there wasn't a fast lane to success.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26It took time.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30There were setbacks that really tested my dedication.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32But when I won Olympic gold,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36I soon realised it had been worth every second.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40There are plenty of sportswomen around the world
0:00:40 > 0:00:42who have felt the same rush of success.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Over the next half hour,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52we'll hear from six remarkable women
0:00:52 > 0:00:56as they tell their stories of setback and triumph -
0:00:56 > 0:01:00the stories of how they became winners.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23TRANSLATION:
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Sometimes, just getting to the starting line
0:05:17 > 0:05:19can be an achievement in itself.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22In a moment, we'll be hearing from one athlete
0:05:22 > 0:05:26hoping to change the face of road cycling in the US.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Next, to Vietnam,
0:05:28 > 0:05:29where a visit to a pool
0:05:29 > 0:05:32transformed the life of one woman entirely.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44TRANSLATION:
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Getting started is really hard,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43but once I get on my bike,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45I have no regrets.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49More women should be cycling.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52More African-American women should be cycling.
0:09:52 > 0:09:53That's why I put the hours in.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03I have the goal to be the first
0:10:03 > 0:10:06professional female African-American road cyclist.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26I started racing when I was 26,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29which is quite old for someone to start.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35I won a state championship maybe my third race in,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37which is kind of unheard of.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43You've got to be focused, determined,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45and have a high threshold for pain.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Professional cycling is a predominantly white sport.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Other colours and cultures aren't very well represented.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58I think African-American women aren't cycling
0:10:58 > 0:11:01because they don't see anyone who looks like them doing it.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10I'm going to be the pro that I couldn't find in the sport.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13I owe it to all the little girls who look like me
0:11:13 > 0:11:15who have the potential to become great.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Anxiety is such a weird thing,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31in that there can be absolutely nothing wrong,
0:11:31 > 0:11:37and you will come up with a million things that are a problem.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39When I first started racing,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43it was hard to even get myself to the starting line.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50It's pretty cool in that the bike is both a physical vehicle
0:11:50 > 0:11:52and a metaphorical vehicle
0:11:52 > 0:11:55that can take you where you want to go.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Cycling has changed my life in so many positive ways.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05CHATTING AND LAUGHTER
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- How you doing?- I'm OK.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13When I started on this journey to become professional,
0:12:13 > 0:12:18I thought it would be a good idea to start a blog,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21because it can be helpful to all of those women
0:12:21 > 0:12:23that I'm trying to reach.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27There's something more concrete about things being in writing.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30I wanted to hold myself accountable for the goals I had set.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42I really like going fast on a bicycle.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45I really, really like going fast.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55I think going fast on a bike is special,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57because you did it.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00You created that speed with your legs.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02You created that energy.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Even if I don't become the best in the United States,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13I know I can still accomplish my goal
0:13:13 > 0:13:17of encouraging and inspiring other women of colour to go for it.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Because maybe they are the one that's supposed to become the best.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29I'm just trying to lead the way.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35For one athlete in Egypt,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38the freedom to compete comes with its own challenges.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Her tough decisions in a bit.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44But first, India, and one woman reaching dizzying heights
0:13:44 > 0:13:47while redefining expectations in her country.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56TRANSLATION:
0:21:56 > 0:22:01It's astonishing the sacrifice and commitment these women have made
0:22:01 > 0:22:03in the pursuit of success,
0:22:03 > 0:22:05and I believe in the years to come,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08we can expect more records shattered,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10more races run,
0:22:10 > 0:22:11and more boundaries broken.