Laura Trott's path to three-time Olympic gold medal glory began when her mum wanted to lose some weight, her sister has told Sky News.

Older sister Emma watched the 24-year-old's success in the women's team pursuit in Rio from her home in Christchurch in New Zealand.

Image: Triple Olympic gold medallist Laura Trott started cycling early, competing for Welwyn Wheelers as a child. Pic: Francis Gallacher Image: Laura Trott enjoyed early success with her cycle club. Pic: Francis Gallacher Image: Olympic glory lay ahead for Laura Trott back in 2010 Image: Trott on the podium at the European Elite Track Cycling Championships in Poland in November 2010 Image: Riding in the women's omnium Scratch race in the Netherlands in March 2011 Image: The smile says it all as Trott reacts to winning the women's omnium in October 2011 in the Netherlands Image: Celebrating after helping to win the women's team pursuit in a competition at London's Olympic Velodrome in February 2012 Image: Trott's thumbnails decorated with Union Jacks as she prepares to compete in the London 2012 Olympic Games Image: Celebrating her first Olympic gold with teammates Dani King and Joanna Rowsell Image: Trott, King (L) and Rowsell (R) with their gold medals at London 2012 Image: Trott celebrates her second gold at the London Games Image: With her fiancee and teammate Jason Kenny (R) during practice at the UCI Track World Championships at Minsk in February 2013 Image: Posing with her OBE presented by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace on 7 June 2013 Image: Celebrating her win at the the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July 2014 Image: Going for gold - Trott and her teammates prepare for the women's pursuit final in Rio Image: Making it a third. Trott and her GB teammates celebrate winning the gold medal /

She said they started cycling by chance as they grew up in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, but Laura had now become a "phenomenon".

"We were quite a sporty family anyway but it was all down to Mum wanting to lose some weight so she got a mountain bike and we got hooked," she said.

Olympic Pair On Gold Victory

"Laura was eight, I was 10 and it just progressed from there. I think if anyone had told us where the journey would take us none of us would have believed it.


"She is a phenomenon on a bike," she added.

Image: Laura Trott (R) with sister Emma at London 2012. Pic: Emma Trott

Laura was born a month prematurely with a collapsed lung and was later diagnosed with asthma.

"She is a fighter and that is why she is where she is today, she has had to fight from day one and she has had to fight more than most of us," Emma said.

Image: Laura Trott with fiancee Jason Kenny

In London 2012 Laura Trott won the team pursuit and omnium. In Rio she is on her way to repeating the feat as part of the record-breaking Great Britain cycling team.

Laura Trott's fiancee is fellow Olympic champion Jason Kenny, who will race for gold in the men's sprint against fellow Brit Callum Skinner later.

Image: Laura Trott competes for Welwyn Wheelers as a child. Pic: Francis Gallacher

Trott and Kenny have spoken about wanting to start a family at some point, but her sister believes they will both continue racing through to the next Olympics in 2020.

Emma added: "I would like to think she would go to Tokyo but I would like to think Jason would as well.

"I can understand in her heart that she wants her own kids as well."