Olympics 2008

For someone who has grown tired of reading the same clichés from major sportsmen and women, getting involved with BBC Sport's Olympic "Brits to Watch" has been a breath of fresh air.

Most of those involved in Olympic sports are strangers to the limelight so they are far more willing to talk about their day-to-day experiences than those who have to face media and fan scrutiny every week.

Leading British sportsmen and women from almost all of the 28 Olympic sports have this year been contributing to the BBC's 606 website.

And the results are a long way from "taking each game as it comes" or "getting my head down and working hard with the rest of the lads".

Judo player Euan Burton paints a vivid picture in his latest posting: "Strength sessions invariably finish with a fore-arm and grip strength circuit which leaves me with forearms Popeye would be proud of.

"If you want to know what it feels like, grab a 20kg bar and some dumbbells and do 20 wrist curls, 20 bicep curls, 20 reverse curls, 20 hammer curls and then walk with the heavy dumbbells for 50 metres.

"Repeat four times through and then try to wash your hair in the shower afterwards. It will be the toughest hair-wash you have ever had."

Competing with Burton in the tough guy stakes is rower Peter Reed who, as one of the flagship men's coxless four has been keeping a regular video diary. If you have any doubts about your fitness don't try the 5km rowing machine test at home!

Not everyone is a slave to fitness regimes. Sailors Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes are far from complacent in their preparations but there is plenty of space for fun as they give the BBC an insight into a typical day.

Rhodes on breakfast: "He has muesli with fruit in it and I have muesli with chocolate. It's pretty damn tasty."

Morrison: "I'm also a bit of a coffee man and we try to have some orange juice, to get the health in early."

It never pays to be arrogant in any sport but rower Frances Houghton is a little overly modest in her 606 profile when she says: "I have raced in the women's quad for the past five years and I hope to be selected for the boat again this year for the Olympic Games in Beijing."

She doesn't mention that the quad won a silver medal in Athens four years ago, taken gold at the last three successive World Championships and is a hot favourite to win in Bejing!

With many squads not yet named, not everyone is sure whether or not they will be going to Beijing, and diver Leon Taylor is one of them as he struggles with a lower back problem, a month before final qualification.

"My plan to bow out after competing at the Beijing Games is in the balance," he admits in a recent 606 entry.

"I'm trying to build things up slowly but obviously I'm aware I haven't got much time."

Others already have made it through tricky qualifying tournaments and have even been taking photos along the way, like synchronised swimmer Olivia Allison, whose pics from Beijing are on the BBC Sport Olympics Flickr pool.

Triathlete Will Clarke must impress in Madrid next Sunday if he is to secure his place.

But he says this week: "I'm confident that I couldn't really have done anything else leading into the make-or-break Olympic qualifier so that is really comforting."

For some, the journey to Beijing has come to a dead end - for now at least.

Fencer Jo Hutchison missed out at the final Olympic zonal qualifier in Istanbul at the end of last month but she manages to keep a sense of perspective - neither "over the moon" nor "sick as a parrot" at the end of the day.

"I always said from the start that to go to Beijing would be a bonus but my absolute goal is to compete in London in 2012," she says.

And there are those who never had a shot at Beijing but are already setting their sights on making an Olympic debut in London in four years' time.

Huw Goodwin has been giving an insight into the British Handball Association's World Class Development Programme, which is based in Arhus, Denmark.

London 2012 may be a long way off but Goodwin faces a squad selection camp next week, where he will aim to secure his place for next year and keep his Olympic hopes on track.

"It's going to be tough. We know that there will be cuts, and so the pressure is on," he writes this week.

"For now, morale is high and everyone is working well as a team. Personally, I hope to stay fit and put myself in contention."

Sometimes you really do have to take each game as it comes.

Links to all the latest 606 entries by Olympic competitors and hopefuls are on the Team GB index on the BBC Sport website. Please have a look, let me know your favourites and your suggestions on ways we could make them even better.