A former Woking College student will cycle for gold at the Paralympic Games in Paris.
Lizzi Jordan, 26, from Guildford, will represent Team GB alongside riding partner Danni Khan, in the visually impaired Tandem category.
Speaking to the News and Mail, Jordan described being selected as a “real privilege”.
“To be selected is a huge achievement in itself and even to get to the Games,“ Jordan said.
“We've got such a fantastic team behind us. It gives you the confidence that you've got all the tools, equipment and knowledge that you need to be your best.
“I feel really proud of how far I've come.”
It has been a long ride for Jordan, who became blind after awakening from a coma caused by E. coli, which nearly took her life in 2017. But sport gave her a new sense of purpose and direction.
Growing up in Surrey, Jordan was (and still is) a keen equestrian, and could be found riding through Thursley Common and Hankley Common near Elstead.
She said running the London Marathon in 2019 was the starting point of her cycling journey.
“I ran that for RNIB (Royal National Institution of Blind People). I raised a lot of money for them, about £15,000.
“That kick-started my desire to achieve more without my sight than I ever dreamt I could.
“So that really led to cycling. I attended a Talent ID day of British cycling in September 2020.
“They didn't need you to have any experience on a bike. They just wanted to scout out any potential.
“From that, I was invited on to the foundation program, where you undergo intense training to become a cyclist and it really all went from there.”
Jordan’s first big competition was the 2022 UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships. Earning her first silver medal, she then bagged gold and bronze at the UCI Cycling World Championships in Scotland the following year.
Fast forward to this year, Jordan and Khan became triple world champions with three gold medals at the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio.
Jordan said: “We hadn't even raced the full distance of three kilometres individual pursuit together until Rio.
“To pull that out of the bag with our first event was exciting, but we want to try and back that up now.”
When it comes to Tandem in para-cycling, the athlete on the back is called a stoker. They are visually impaired and there will be a sighted pilot in control on the front of the bike and involves working together in “unity”.
Heading to Paris, Jordan stressed how much her family means to her.
“My family are the reason I've made it to Paris,” Jordan said.
“Without the countless lifts and support with my training, I wouldn't be here without them.”
Laura Cook, a teacher of Jordan’s from her time at Woking College. Said that she and all the staff are proud of their former student and will be cheering her on.