After her thrilling and successful Summer, Nicole found time to talk to us about her support for Nike’s ‘Here I Am’ campaign. The Champion is keen to show her support for future Champions in Women’s sport.
The Olympic Games catapulted Nicole Cooke to the forefront of British cycling heroines, she then went on to become the first female cyclist ever to win the Olympic Gold and become World Champion in the same year. A mammoth feat for the young athlete.
Now having accomplished such remarkable achievements Nicole is voicing her support for Nike ‘Here I Am’. The campaign is set to challenge the appreciation of women in sport. Nicole feels that the campaign will help others avoid the difficulties she experienced while trying to establish herself in cycling: “ I was the only girl in our cycling club, but it didn’t matter as my brother and I were very lucky to have my parents there encouraging us”
Nicole’s success seems a long way from the limited competition available to her as a young racer: “Years ago there wasn’t even a road race World Championship for women”
“And even in 1998 there was no U16 trust championship for girls. It took a letter from my dad to point this out and now there is an U12, U14 and U16, it shows what can be achieved”
With the momentum growing for the Nike campaign I wondered what Nicole thought had triggered growth in women’s cycling; “With a woman winning the first Olympic gold, rather than a man which it has nearly always been then I feel I can be a role model for other girls and create the spark that gets them into the sport.”
But Nicole was also quick to add that progression in sport ‘takes time’ but of course “all the things I have had to do in my short career so far, I’d like it to have a benefit”
The Nike campaign is an obvious trigger for all women to strive to be a participant in sport but what else does Nicole think is needed to get the end result; “I believe its two things, having the right facitlities and teams with role models to inspire. We need girls and women to say ‘yes’ I want to have a go at that and go out and just do it!”
With her own personal success acknowledged worldwide Nicole was very enthusiastic about the future and what she wants to offer to cycling:
“I can’t go any higher in sport, it would be fantastic to do it all again which is what I will train to do, but what’s the point in keeping that to myself. I want to share it and grow as a team, I think its time to support and give something back”
The Nike campaign is not to be missed, check out what Nicole is supporting at: www.nikehereiam.com
