Your Stories

We trampolinists are in a pressure sport, and the gauge was definitely nearing the top during what I knew was going to be an important period for me this season.

After the injury-hampered first month and half of what is essentially a short season (March to July), it was make or break in a two competitions in a month.

Little was I to know that that was to become three with the return to the international scene for the first time in three years.

I can't say that I felt great going into it. I'd only training for a week and half before and to be honest I felt I was under prepared.

I was edgy and far from on form in training. I knew that if I was to achieve qualification to the National Championships, I had to perform. Experience got me through. Job Done. A first place, to boot, which is always nice. Onwards and upwards to the next event in three weeks time.

Dream

I received a letter a few days later, from British Gymnastics. I get post from them all the time. I always have an air of expectation, and wonder what it's going to be about.

I had a dream about a week before the letter came about being been called up for an international. That was odd because I rarely dream about my sport.

I hadn't been called up for Great Britain since late 2003 when I was selected for, but missed (because of injury), the World Age Games and a youth match against Germany... It was the beginning of a year off due to injury problems and I hadn't had a sniff of selection since.

This was a selection letter, but as a non-travelling reserve.

I went ballistic. Words can't describe the rage that filled my blood. The momentary joys of thinking you've been selected and then having it taken away sent me mad.

I threw the letter at the wall and stormed off to training, where I suitably informed my coach Tracy, and had a bit of a rant.

Ready for action

Luck

Sometimes you're lucky, and sometimes your not. And just as I had to withdraw from my last international due to illness, a member of the team had picked up tonsillitis and I received a phone call on Monday night to inform me that I'd be travelling to Sunderland on Friday to compete.

I was excited to be in the British team again, and I wasn't going to waste the opportunity.

The competition itself was a four nations international with Great Britain, Denmark, Czech Republic and Portugal all facing each other.

It didn't get off to the best start when my iPod broke at the airport (what is it with electronics? They just seem to have a compulsive need to go wrong). 

But in the competition I did pretty well. I was top Brit and finished third overall. Not bad at all, and it did the confidence no harm.

Alarming

Trampolining is still an amateur sport at the heart though, and there were a couple of things that I found alarming.

On the whole these things are much better than they used to be, and we are moving forward. I won't say too much because I run the risk of a disciplinary hearing, but the night before the competition, when I'm sure we should have been eating the right things and getting some rest, we were taken out for an 'all-you-can-eat' Chinese.

Can you imagine what other sport England would do that in?! Do you think the England football team will be doing the same the night before they kick-off in the World Cup? Madness!

Coach: Tracy Whittaker-Smith

Highlight

A week later was my third competition in five weeks, and my last chance to qualify for the Men's Nationals. I did (thank God) and finished fourth, although I could have won if I had competed a little better.

The highlight of the last month has got to be Tracy coming to watch me in Sunderland.

Me and Trace have been in deep discussion of late, putting the wrongs right and making sure we're going in the right direction. When you're on a flyer it's the sort of thing that you don't need to do to so often, but it was time we talked business again and it has seen a tremendous improvement in form.

Being on Britain duty, she didn't have to come and watch me, but she did. And it really shows the brilliant relationship we have.

It's not always roses when you're trying to get to the top in anything, and relationships have ups and downs, but overall the bond between me and Trace is stronger than oak.