I try to relax and enjoy it. I don't really get nervous, I get excited! I love training, but my main excitement comes from when I'm racing and the better the standard of people I'm racing, the more excited I get and the more 'up for it' I get.

I try to relax and enjoy it. I don't really get nervous, I get excited! I love training, but my main excitement comes from when I'm racing and the better the standard of people I'm racing, the more excited I get and the more 'up for it' I get.

I started at a 'learn to swim' scheme when I was about five-years-old. I did it to learn water safety, but it was fun and I loved the water. I went to a club, moved up through the ranks and got better and better before taking part in my first national championships.

Swimming has given me a lot. It's given me a respect for people and different cultures around the world when I've been competing abroad. I've learnt many life skills and met so many friends around the world that I might not have had otherwise. I'm focused and driven and I guess swimming has made me that way.

Get down to your local swimming pool or your local swimming club, join up and see what it's like. I can guarantee that you're going to meet some great friends. Just being involved in water makes me happy and I'd like to see that transferred across to other people.

If there was a birthday party or a gathering and I was at training and couldn't make it, then I guess I might have missed out on a few things, but I wouldn't see them as sacrifices because I love what I do so much. I feel I've made the right choices in the way I've lived my life.

Dedication and time management are two of the biggest things. I hate being late for anything. If anything, I prefer to be ten minutes early rather than thirty seconds late. I'm also very dedicated and I want to do my best in everything I do. I believe swimming has helped transfer that into my life as well.