As a general rule I don’t read many autobiographies. But The Inside Track by Laura Trott and Jason Kenny (written with Tom Fordyce) attracted me because I’d been captivated by their incredible wins at the London and Rio Olympics. 

When it comes to watching sport I am usually rather picky. Rugby, cricket, some athletics, Formula 1 occasionally, a little bit of tennis and cycling. (Never ever top level football because I can’t stand prima donnas).

Road cycling and track cycling I enjoy watching because I spent many years cycling – for fun and for transport, never as a sport. And perhaps because I never treated it as a sport I am even more impressed by the skills and talent of those that do. When it comes to track cycling Laura Trott and Jason Kenny are amongst the finest in the world at the moment,  a married couple who between them have ten Olympic gold medals.  Laura has been in four Olympic finals and won the lot, which means she has won more Olympic gold medals than any other British female ever; Jason has six, which makes him the equal highest British gold medal winner of all time, along with Sir Chris Hoy.

Their autobiography is told in the two voices,  Jason and Laura commenting in parallel on their lives from early years up to their wedding,  one month after the Rio Olympics. The book is sandwiched by them talking through one fantastic hour on 16th August 2016 when Laura won her second gold of the Olympics and Jason won his third. They tell of their early training, developing from promising children through to their enrolment into the British Olympic development team. It tells of Jason at the Beijing Olympics, then them both at the London Olympics and then their five events at Rio, ending with their marriage in September.

I found it a great read,  cleverly assembled (no doubt by the ghost writer) and gives quite an insight into the mental processes involved in being two of the finest athletes in the world today. It is a personal tale, involving,  emotional, touching and remarkably frank. I loved it.