Winners with Denise Lewis

To win,

to be the best,

takes raw talent, determination,

drive, and sheer grit.

Starting off as a young athlete from Wolverhampton,

there wasn't a fast lane to success.

It took time.

There were setbacks that really tested my dedication.

But when I won Olympic gold,

I soon realised it had been worth every second.

There are plenty of sportswomen around the world

who have felt the same rush of success.

Over the next half hour,

we'll hear from six remarkable women

as they tell their stories of setback and triumph -

the stories of how they became winners.

TRANSLATION:

Sometimes, just getting to the starting line

can be an achievement in itself.

In a moment, we'll be hearing from one athlete

hoping to change the face of road cycling in the US.

Next, to Vietnam,

where a visit to a pool

transformed the life of one woman entirely.

TRANSLATION:

Getting started is really hard,

but once I get on my bike,

I have no regrets.

More women should be cycling.

More African-American women should be cycling.

That's why I put the hours in.

I have the goal to be the first

professional female African-American road cyclist.

I started racing when I was 26,

which is quite old for someone to start.

I won a state championship maybe my third race in,

which is kind of unheard of.

You've got to be focused, determined,

and have a high threshold for pain.

Professional cycling is a predominantly white sport.

Other colours and cultures aren't very well represented.

I think African-American women aren't cycling

because they don't see anyone who looks like them doing it.

I'm going to be the pro that I couldn't find in the sport.

I owe it to all the little girls who look like me

who have the potential to become great.

Anxiety is such a weird thing,

in that there can be absolutely nothing wrong,

and you will come up with a million things that are a problem.

When I first started racing,

it was hard to even get myself to the starting line.

It's pretty cool in that the bike is both a physical vehicle

and a metaphorical vehicle

that can take you where you want to go.

Cycling has changed my life in so many positive ways.

CHATTING AND LAUGHTER

-How you doing?

-I'm OK.

When I started on this journey to become professional,

I thought it would be a good idea to start a blog,

because it can be helpful to all of those women

that I'm trying to reach.

There's something more concrete about things being in writing.

I wanted to hold myself accountable for the goals I had set.

I really like going fast on a bicycle.

I really, really like going fast.

I think going fast on a bike is special,

because you did it.

You created that speed with your legs.

You created that energy.

Even if I don't become the best in the United States,

I know I can still accomplish my goal

of encouraging and inspiring other women of colour to go for it.

Because maybe they are the one that's supposed to become the best.

I'm just trying to lead the way.

For one athlete in Egypt,

the freedom to compete comes with its own challenges.

Her tough decisions in a bit.

But first, India, and one woman reaching dizzying heights

while redefining expectations in her country.

TRANSLATION:

It's astonishing the sacrifice and commitment these women have made

in the pursuit of success,

and I believe in the years to come,

we can expect more records shattered,

more races run,

and more boundaries broken.