Cycling couple return to track to inspire children

How do you juggle three young children, two sports careers and one Commonwealth Games dream?

For husband and wife team Lewis and Ciara Oliva, the challenge is not an easy one, but the Welsh track cyclists are supporting and spurring each other on.

The pair waved goodbye to the sport with a "fairytale moment" at the Gold Coast Games in 2018, but eight years on they are back for more in the velodrome.

Lewis heads to his fourth Games, having made his debut at Delhi 2010, while Ciara is competing at her third Games, returning to where it all began in Glasgow in 2014.

With newfound motivation in the form of their children, Florence, Digby and Ottilie, the Welsh pair are daring to dream again.

It was the example set by a double Olympic gold medal-winning rower that got Ciara back on the bike first.

"We were just over the moon with our careers, it felt like we'd achieved everything we wanted to [by 2018]," said Ciara.

"Then I watched Helen Glover's documentary and was so inspired by her that I just thought, 'Do you know what? Is this possible? Could I have a crack at it?'

"Lewis joined me at the beginning of the year as well."

Ciara says that trying to emulate Glover's example has been a delicate balancing act.

"It is a big juggle," she told BBC Sport Wales.

"But that's made the journey all the more worthwhile because it has been such a journey.

"To be going to a Commonwealth Games with our three little ones watching us is pretty magical."

She admits it was scary to tell the world about her ambitions to return to the sport.

"I was very emotional; this has been such a big target for me," Ciara said.

"I was quite scared when I first announced I was going to do this comeback because you do fear the usual, 'What if it doesn't happen? What if I'm not able to achieve what I want to?'

"Lewis was very good and supportive, saying, 'What if it does happen?'

"That's kind of been my philosophy throughout, just to give it absolutely everything."

Lewis admits the pull of being a part of the first men's sprint team Wales have entered at a Commonwealth Games was a dangling carrot that he could not resist.

Three out of four riders from Oliva, Ioan Hepburn, Rory Gravelle and Jonah Jenkins will compete in the team sprint event.

"The fact we've got a male sprint team speaks volumes," said Lewis.

"I would love to be able to go top four in that first round and then be able to compete for a medal; we've got the potential to do that.

"We are going to have to hope some of our stars align.

"It's a case of doing it on the day and that's what I love about this sport - anything can happen on the day."

So how aware are the Oliva children of the task their parents are undertaking?

"I think they get the gravity of the situation that Mummy and Daddy are doing an important bike race," said Lewis.

"The eldest two are telling their friends at school and nursery all about it.

"Florence and Digby are drawing lots of pictures of Mummy and Daddy in the velodrome with those guys sitting in the stands watching.

"They might not understand the subtleties yet or where we've come from, but they see enough of us every single day on the watt bike or the turbo at home."

Lewis is quick to stress that training at home sometimes is less novelty and more necessity.

"We've had to have babysitters come round in the day, just so we could train in the front room and not be disturbed," he explained.

"That's not completely normal, and I think they understand that as well that things feel slightly different.

"The biggest motivating factor for both of us is to have those three in the stands watching.

"Success for me has already happened, having those three kids, those familiar faces in the stands watching us."

Ciara says even their youngest child is already obsessed with cycling.

"Ottilie already is 'Bike, bike, bike.' She's just grown up being Mummy and Daddy on bikes.

"She loves it as well, so we're really lucky and they love being on their bikes as well, which is nice, very special."

Ciara added: "Success for me is enjoying this experience and taking it in.

"This is everything that we've worked so hard for.

"To enjoy looking into the stands, to see our three babies looking down at us with their grandparents cheering us on, embracing and taking that in."