\n<\/p>\n
Bell already has two World Championship medals to her name, a silver in 2023 an upgrade from bronze the previous year, and will look to take another step up the podium in Chile in October.<\/p>\n
What makes her story even more intriguing is that there were few signs her future lay in the sport growing up in Moray – “I just didn’t like cycling,” she said. <\/p>\n
But Bell swapped athletics for cycling in her late teens after her potential was spotted on a talent transfer day in Manchester.<\/p>\n
“There were looking at track sprint, skeleton and kayaking, and I really wanted skeleton, but I got picked for cycling and actually started to enjoy it.”<\/p>\n
Even after that, Bell’s journey has been bumpy. She had to leave the British programme but was invited to train with Scottish Cycling.<\/p>\n
“It gave me time to really learn how to ride my bike and made me a better rider in the long term,” she said.<\/p>\n
“They got me to a level where I went down to the nationals in 2020, won the Keirin and the 500m, and did an incredible time trial lap, and then British Cycling asked me to come back on.”<\/p>\n
While Bell is hoping to scratch her Olympic itch at the 2028 games in Los Angeles, she has also got next summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in her sights.<\/p>\n
“That is actually a big goal of mine so all eyes are set on that,” she said. “Since I was really young I have always wanted a Commonwealth Games medal and to hear Flower of Scotland on the podium.”<\/p>\n
And Bell is juggling that quest with another target \u2013 to learn Gaelic, and perhaps even do a post-medal interview in the language.<\/p>\n
“It is difficult but I can see I am getting there,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I can say where I live , how I am doing, what the weather is like so I need to still learn my bike language to be able to hold an interview, but it is really good.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n