Who is Victoria Pendleton, who is her ex-husband Scott Gardner and what has she said about her Everest climb?
One of Britain's most famous and successful cyclists, Pendleton more recently turned her attention to horseriding and mountaineering
VICTORIA Pendleton recently announced her split from husband Scott Gardner, who she married in 2013.
Here's what we know about the superstar cyclist and Olympic champion.
Who is Victoria Pendleton?
The 37-year-old was born in 1980 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire.
Her dad Max is a keen cyclist and former British National 8km grass track cycling champion.
She first showed her talent aged nine when she rode in a 400m grass track race at Mildenhall Cycling Club's Fordham Sports Day.
When she was 16, Victoria was spotted by assistant national track coach, Marshal Thomas.
She graduated from Northumbria University with a degree in sport and exercise science before becoming a full-time cyclist.
Victoria won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in the sprint.
She went on to win gold again at the 2012 London Olympics in the keirin and also got a silver before she retired from professional cycling.
She has also won nine World Championship golds, two European golds and godl at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
She later proved herself as a professional jockey and won her first race in March 2016 at Wincanton.
The Olympian was also a contestant in the tenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, where she was partnered with Brendan Cole.
Who's her husband Scott Gardner?
Victoria married sports scientist Scott Gardner in 2013 at Colshaw Hall in Cheshire.
The pair spent years hiding their relationship from fellow GB teammates where Scott was working with the British Cycling coaching team.
It was deemed unprofessional for two members of the same team to be romantically involved and Scott left the coaching role in 2008.
Victoria later said their relationship caused tension between team-mates.
Are Victoria Pendleton and her husband divorcing?
The Olympic gold medallist announced on July 3, 2018, that she and her husband have split up.
Victoria told her 289,000 followers: “After 10 years together I am very sad to say that Scott and I have grown apart, despite our best efforts in trying to make our marriage work.
“We have come to the decision to go our separate ways. It has been an extremely difficult time and a tough decision to make.
“We want to look ahead to the future and stay positive. We would both gratefully appreciate our privacy being respected as we navigate what is a deeply personal time for us.”
What bikes has she designed?
Victoria has designed Pendleton Bikes .
The traditional-looking bicycles are designed to get more women in the saddle and are priced between £200 to £349.99.
But the range also includes the Somerby Electric Bike, which costs £750.
Victoria has also designed a range of kids' bikes priced up to £180.
What's her Today tattoo?
For her 30th birthday, Victoria got a line from The Smashing Pumpkins song Today tattooed on her right arm.
It reads: "Today is the greatest day I’ve ever known."
Victoria also has a horse tattoo on her other arm in a nod to her passion for the sport.
What has Victoria Pendleton said about her depression battle?
Victoria revealed she’s been battling depression since her failed bid to scale Mount Everest.
She said: “I’ve been suffering with depression since I got back from Everest. I feel psychologically and physiologically damaged.
“It’s really put me through the wringer, and that has been harder than any disappointment about not making it up to the summit.
"It’s like I’ve taken a real battering. I’ve never felt so overwhelmed with illness.”
Victoria was crippled by altitude sickness when she reached 21,000ft and was told she risked death if she tried to complete the climb.
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The bid left her with a string of health problems and she told being denied enough oxygen has also led to the depression she’s now battling.
She said: “They’ve assured me that it’s quite a normal thing and in time it will pass. I’ve been having good days and bad days.
“You just have to grin and bear it.”
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