Wendy Houvenaghel, 33, from Upperlands near Maghera, won a silver medal in the 3,000m individual women's pursuit final in Beijing last month.

Yesterday she flew back into the Province for the first time since her win and was swarmed by journalists and photographers as she landed.

Her achievement at the Laoshan Velodrome ended a 16-year wait since Ulster's last Olympic medal, a silver from Wayne McCullough who was boxing for Ireland at the time.

Speaking from her childhood home in Upperlands, the Cornwall-based dentist said her feet "haven't touched the ground" since she won her medal.

"It is good to be back in Northern Ireland where I feel I can settle down and relax for the first time since everything has happened," she said.

"I am here for a week and will be meeting family and friends and attending a party on Wednesday night."

A committee from Upperlands has arranged the celebration in her honour.

Wendy's biggest shock throughout the experience has been the level of congratulations she has received from Upperlands.

"I have been surprised in the interest from people from my home village," she said.

"People have been sending me congratulations cards and letters here and to my home in England. The postman has been really busy.

"It has largely been from my home village but also from dental teams that I have worked with and people I went to school and university with."

A self-confessed competitor through-and-through, Wendy says it has always been a part of her character.

Declaring herself "quite good" at school sports, she did better at the 800m and 1,500m track events, which she acknowledges correspond to similar distances over which she now races on her bike.

Her talent for cycling was spotted by her husband, a keen club cyclist, when she joined him for a session after she had completed the London Marathon.

A late starter, she entered her first international competition aged 31.

"I will be 37 at the next Olympics but there is no real age bracket at which cyclists peak," said Wendy.

"For example, Jeanie Longo of France came fourth in the women's time trial in Beijing and Yvonne McGregor won an Olympic medal in cycling in 2000.

"I have only been training full-time for two years and I had been trying to prepare for the Olympics in a very tight timespan."

But now she revels in the idea of four years to plan another assault.

"The next time they are talking of introducing a women's team pursuit event so there is even the chance of taking two golds," she said.

But one serious obstacle for the athlete will be fundraising.

"Previously, I was working as a dentist to support myself and cycling was a hobby. But funding for cycling in the UK is not on the same par as that for soccer, rugby or cricket, for example – even though our cyclists are very successful," she said.