The 37-year-old won a silver medal in the road race at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and four years later claimed silver in the cross-country cycling event at the Manchester Games.
She retired from competitive cycling seven years ago and disappeared under a pile of legal books while she was completing her law degree.
But she has re-emerged as a qualified lawyer and moved to Dunedin in February with her husband, Chris Drake, and 11-month-old son, Sebastian.
Life has been too busy to miss competitive cycling but Pryde reckons the time is right to gives little back to the sport.
Her employer, Wilkinson Adams, were keen for Pryde to get involved in a community project and since May she has been running the Otago Student Cycling League.
The programme has been well supported by the six schools who are initially involved, with60 pupils signing up.
"We decided we would target secondary schools because it seemed like there was a bit of gap there," Pryde said.
"This initiative is really about getting kids on the bike and for those that show more of an interest there are school nationals to compete in. But there are definitely a handful of kids who show some exceptional talent."
Cycling Otago supports the programme and have helped provide racing bikes for pupils whoso not have their own.
Pryde said cycling was on a high in New Zealand but particularly in Dunedin with the likes of Alison Shanks doing a lot to raise the profile of the sport.
"It is really catching on. And Ali is such a fantastic role model on and off the bike."
Pryde's arrival, no doubt, is bound to stimulate some extra interest as well.
