Former Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton is to train as a jockey with a view to competing at the 2016 Cheltenham Festival.
The 34-year-old is, with the support of a well-known betting firm, setting out to gain her amateur jockey licence as she takes her first steps into horse racing.
Pendleton admits she had "never sat on a horse until a week ago", but is being coached by experienced riders Yogi Breisner, Chris King and Paul Nicholls.
"I've been looking for a new and exciting challenge," she said. "I'm motivated by the scale of the challenge and the opportunity to combine my love of horses with learning a new skill under the guidance of the team of horse-racing experts.
"I will be working closely with Yogi Breisner, Chris King and Paul Nicholls to help train and advise me over the next 12 months.
"My team and I have identified the ambitious target of riding competitively in the Foxhunters Chase at Cheltenham Festival next year, but the initial focus will be on getting me to a level whereby I am granted an amateur jockey licence, which is a significant challenge in itself given that I had never even sat on a horse until a week ago."
Pendleton is Great Britain's most successful female Olympian, having won two gold medals and a silver across the 2008 and 2012 events in Beijing and London respectively.
She retired from professional cycling following the 2012 Games.