"Live your dream" is the motto emblazoned across Rebecca Romero's Web site and the 28-year-old Briton has done just that in making her remarkable transition from Olympic rower to world-class track cyclist.

Drained, disillusioned and downhearted, Romero decided to call time on her rowing career two years ago after winning a silver medal in the Athens Games and a gold at the world championships in 2005.

A chance try-out at track cycling in April 2006 reignited her enthusiasm and inspired her to take on a new challenge and bid to join the select band of athletes who have competed in two different sports at the summer Olympics.

Romero's powerful physique, her finely tuned competitive instinct and her experience of top-class sport gave her the raw ingredients needed to make the switch but the cycling world was taken aback by the scale and speed of her success.

In her first true competitive race she became the British time trial champion and less than 12 months after taking up the sport she won a silver medal in the individual pursuit at the world championships in Palma, Mallorca.

Making such an impressive start to her cycling career means that Romero has been obliged to raise the bar and is aiming for gold medals at this year's worlds in Manchester and the Olympic Games in Beijing.

"When I started cycling the idea was to embark on a two-year project to see if I could get myself to another Olympics in a different sport which would have been a huge achievement in itself," Romero told Reuters.

"Then I had an unexpected result in the world championships in Mallorca and suddenly your whole mentality changes. Now it is a question of wanting a gold medal at the Olympics and anything less will be a failure.

"You end up being your own worst enemy because of your desire to do well and it can be a little self-destructive at times. In a way it is a bit sad but it is a reflection of how much has been achieved over the last year."

Romero's experience as a top-class rower means she is unlikely to be overawed on the big occasion. She makes no secret of the fact that she feels more at home with the coaching and training set-up in cycling.

"I've been through it all before on numerous occasions in the eight years I was rowing and I know what to expect. But I'm much happier in cycling because I know what I'm doing is 100 per cent right. There is so much support that it makes my job as an athlete easier."

Although there are some physiological similarities between the two endurance sports, Romero said racing in the individual pursuit was very different.

"In cycling you aren't so aware of your rivals. Although there is another competitor on the other side of the track, it is an individual ride as fast as you can. You are battling against yourself," she added.

"You haven't got the environmental factors involved in rowing either or the multi-crew aspect. In the individual pursuit you are on the red line all the time, 100 percent focusing on your own performance and how fast you can go."

In Manchester in March and Beijing in August, Romero is almost certain to be battling with American world champion Sarah Hammer and Athens silver medallist Katie Mactier of Australia for the podium positions.

"I'd say the three of us have got the potential to step out beyond the others," added Romero. "When you get to such an elite level in sport you only have a few athletes who can compete for the top spots. It is going to be absolutely cut-throat.

"I remember having a chat with my mum when I decided to switch to cycling and she couldn't believe what I was doing, but I believe in myself and know I've got the capability to do well in this sport.

"When I picture winning an Olympic gold, the next thing that comes into my mind is how I would feel if I came second or third or, God forbid, even not winning a medal. But you can't have those negative thoughts and in any case they are what spur you on to greater things.

"I know how it felt to come second in Athens but the good thing is that I can also take the idea of making history in two different sports and make that work for me too."

No matter what the result in Beijing, Romero wants to continue her track cycling career until the London Games in 2012.

"Having the Games in London is a massive pull," she said. "I often kick myself for not finding myself in the sport earlier.

I'm so aware of time rushing by and the calendar being ticked off so quickly.

"There are still a lot of aspects I need to improve on and if I had another year I would be in a much better position."

Reuters