Manchester's BMX superstar Charlotte Worthington ready to dazzle after rocky road to Paris Olympics

• Granada Reports sports correspondent Chris Hall spoke to Charlotte Worthington as she prepares to defend her title

A gold medal winning athlete has spoken about how her mental health suffered after she returned from Tokyo - so much so she had to take a break from the sport.

Charlotte Worthington’s life turned upside down when she etched her name into folklore three years ago, becoming the first woman in history to complete the trick and doing so on the grandest stage of all.

It made the trailblazing Mancunian the first female BMX freestyle Olympic champion and she has her sights set on defending her crown this summer.

But her path to Paris has not been straightforward - Charlotte's status as an overnight sensation led to some tough times as she navigated her new-found fame, including temporarily stepping away from the sport she loves.

Now back on two wheels, she says she is ready to dazzle once more.

Charlotte said: "Before Tokyo it was a huge opportunity, taking your hobby into something that puts money into your bank account.

"You are now on a schedule, you're there to do a job and that can be tough. Keeping one of the funnest sports in the world fun but doing hard graft, that balance can be tricky."

Gold in Tokyo brought another medal, an MBE from Buckingham Palace and a place alongside showbiz royalty as Charlotte's profile soared as high as her bike but in a sport where confidence is crucial, self doubt slammed on the brakes.

Charlotte said: "I think that is hard. From outside looking in, you never know what's going on in someone's head.

"Social media makes everything look perfect when it's not. Bigger picture of people thinking this is going to be easy for you and it's never easy for anyone.

"I've learned a lot about myself. It feels drastically different. I've learned a lot about life. Some things are just not in your control."

At the European Championships in 2022, she slammed her ‘stubbornness’ after crashing twice attempting a 720-degree flip and finishing bottom of the table.

The following year, she took time out of the sport as she continued to adjust to life as an Olympic champion, taking heed of advice from the likes of Tom Daley and Adam Peaty.

With the support of her fellow Team GB icons and her closest childhood friends "who don’t care if I’m Olympic champion or not", Worthington has rediscovered her love of the sport which is set to thrill fans again in Paris.