British Cyclist Vicky Williamson Announces Retirement After Decade-Long Journey
Vicky Williamson, a former British cycling hopeful, has officially retired from professional sport. She made this announcement at the age of 32, almost ten years after a horrific crash nearly left her unable to walk.
Williamson confirmed her decision in a recent interview with the BBC. She said it was time to close one chapter of her life and begin another.
The Olympic Dream Shattered
Williamson was once on track to race for Team GB at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Her dream was torn apart after a serious track accident in Rotterdam in 2016. During that crash, she broke her neck, back, and pelvis.
Doctors placed five screws in her back to hold her spine together. At one point, she was lucky just to move again. The crash changed everything for the athlete.
Long Road to Recovery
Vicky Williamson needed three major operations and months of recovery following the accident. For a long time, doctors were not sure what kind of life she would have.
"I remember it quite vividly, although I don't remember the exact crash," Williamson told the BBC. "That was wiped from memory."
Just over three years later, she shocked many by returning to elite cycling. She competed again at World Cup level, something she once believed would never be possible.
Pursuing New Athletic Paths
Her Olympic road remained tough. After missing selection for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, she made a bold move into bobsleigh. She trained hard, earned a season, and raced internationally. Still, she did not make the team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Even then, she wasn't done. Williamson felt pulled back to the bike. She returned to cycling and pushed for one final dream, a place at the Paris 2024 Olympics. That spot never came.
"It was a journey with very low points," she said. "From when I knew Rio was gone, to moments where I achieved things I never thought were possible again."
Closing the Competitive Chapter
Now, Williamson has stepped away from elite competition. She has turned her focus to Reformer Pilates, fitness coaching, and building a new career outside sport.
"It's been a lot to take in," she said. "There's a loss of identity. Who am I without my sport? When you've done one thing for so long, it's hard to know what comes next." She admitted her accident changed her life forever.
"Any athlete who has been injured understands," Williamson explained. "It's your identity. And in a blink, everything can change. My accident was life-changing."
Looking back ten years later, she says the timing felt right.
"I'm in a place now where it marked ten years," she said. "It felt like the perfect time to close that chapter and announce the next chapter of my life."
