Dame Laura Kenny is showing us a photo on her phone. She looks radiant in a yellow Jenny Packham dress and is standing outside Windsor Castle with her husband, cyclist Sir Jason Kenny, and their four-year-old son Albie, wearing matching yellow ties, moments after receiving her damehood.
"Deep down I wanted it to be Prince William if I could pick any royal other than the Queen," says Laura, still giddy from the ceremony last month in which Jason was also knighted for his services to cycling. "Will said to me that he thought the honour had been a long time coming for Jason and me. He also said he'd seen my Instagram post about my miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. That was very emotional - I wasn't expecting that at all."
The five-time Olympic gold medalist was back on top of the podium in April at a cycling championship in Derby for the first time since bringing home gold at the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021. It was a bittersweet moment because Laura and Jason had secretly been trying for a baby, knowing her maternity window was tight should she want to compete at Paris 2024. The day after they got back from Japan, the 30-year-old came off the Pill and cycling's golden couple were overjoyed when they discovered Laura was pregnant a month later.
"We were at home and Jason was like, 'Well done!' when we saw the pregnancy test was positive," she says, during our shoot in Manchester. "We were both so excited. When we had Albie, I was a bit panicked because I was terrified it was going to end my career, but this time it was different as I knew I'd done it before and I could get back to Olympic standard."
This story is from the June 20, 2022 edition of OK! UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 20, 2022 edition of OK! UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
A CITY OF TWO HALVES
There's a holiday for every budget to be found in Dubai, as OK!'s Faith Richardson discovered
'Christmas is a double whammy'
Chef James Martin on the pressures of dividing his time between his restaurants and his family over the festivities
LEARN HOW TO PLEASE YOURSELF
The festive season can be an incredibly stressful time, particularly for people-pleasers who struggle to put their own needs first
'There's a bit of faking it until you make it'
Actor Paul Mescal on entering the Gladiator II arena, building a blockbuster body for his role as fighter Lucius Verus, and heading up an A-list cast of Hollywood's finest stars
THE A-LIST HAIL HOLLYWOOD'S BIG HITTERS
A line-up of the film world's best-known faces attended this year's Governors Awards to celebrate lifetime achievements
'I think we arrived right on time'
The stars of the long-awaited film Wicked, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, tell us why its themes are so relevant right now and why the musical is so dear to their hearts
'No one knows who I am'
Having first found fame on social media, GK Barry has become the breakout star of this year's I'm A Celebrity
'I still pinch myself about how we met'
Now legally married, MAFS Uk’s Adam and Tayah Aveling are looking forward to Christmas with their daughter and welcoming baby number two in 2025
THE ROYAL WEEK
It was a sad week for Queen Camilla, but a good week for the royal family’s charities with visits to hospitals and homeless centres
WILLIAM AND KATE'S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS
After a challenging year for the royal family, the Prince and Princess of Wales plan to give their children an unforgettable time filled with fun and festivities
