Meet the athletes

Even winners have their doubts, but after making the Sky Sports Scholarship scheme Ellen Keane is in a great place to continue dominating on the world stage.

The 22-year-old from Dublin is already a record-breaker, having become Ireland's youngest Paralympian at the 2008 Beijing Games aged just 13.

She has gone on make three finals at London 2012 and secured a stunning bronze in the SB8 100m breaststroke at the Rio Paralympics. She also made the finals of the S9 100m backstroke and Butterfly finals.

"I had such a strong mindset in Brazil last summer to win and I felt I had to get that medal," Keane said.

"I was anxious, and I was so happy to win the medal and see the joy it brought everyone".

"Being a Scholar is amazing. I had been struggling with belief in myself over the last two years and this is something I needed. For such a big company like Sky to back me has given me a huge confidence boost going forward."

"I'm so grateful and excited. When I went to the Scholarship interview I was so overwhelmed that I had even got an interview out of everybody that applied."

TOP FACTS

1) Born: 6 April 1995, Dublin
2) Three-time Paralympian
3) Made three finals at London 2012 Paralympics

"I was so nervous and needed to be calmed down! I wanted it so badly I didn't get my hopes up. When I got the email to be accepted I started crying!"

Keane, born with an undeveloped left arm and competes as an amputee, is thrilled about what lies ahead with four years of financial and development support to tap into.

She added: "This year I have a European Championships at home in Dublin and that's a top goal. It's an event that's not happened in Ireland before so that's a big opportunity for me and the team.

"As a Scholar, I'm so excited to see where it takes me to grow as a person and athlete."

Francesca Summers is determined to inspire the next generation of sport stars, as well as get her hands on more silverware in the fascinating sport of modern pentathlon.

The 21-year-old from Dorking has already tasted lots of success having shone as a teenager, winning five medals from her U17 and U19 major championships.

"I have had an incredible amount of physical and mental challenges throughout my sporting career," Summers said.

"I have however been able to use them to develop and strengthen as an athlete and I would like to pass on these experiences to other athletes I meet as a Sky Sports Scholar.

"I would also like to utilise these in my quest to represent GB at the next Olympics in Tokyo. Because of our country's history in the sport - we won gold and bronze in Sydney in 2000 Olympics, bronze at Athens 2004, silver in Beijing 2008 and silver in London 2012 - it is never good enough just to go to an Olympics.

"The planning, preparation and expectation is to make the podium. This comes with huge pressure but this is high performance sport where you are up against the best in the world.

TOP FACTS

1) Born: 13 Feb 1996, Dorking
2) Youth Olympics silver medallist in 2014
3) Competed in senior World Cup in USA in 2017

"To represent your country is one of the greatest feelings and it's a great honour. To represent Team GB at the Youth Olympics in China in 2014 was really special. To win silver was just fantastic.

"In my first year at the U21 World Championships aged 19 in 2015 in Mexico City, to be crowned world champion was a big surprise and an unbelievable moment. When the national anthem faded and the reality sunk in that I was world champion seemed so surreal."

Summers has been getting used to the podium since she started the sport that involves five events - fencing, 200m freestyle swimming, show jumping and a final combined event of pistol shooting and a 3,200m cross-country run.

She also made her World Cup debut in March 2015 and competed for GB at the 2015 European Championship in Bath.

"Getting a place on the Sky Scholarship program will give me an opportunity to further my learning and understanding of sport in a totally different dimension, which I am looking forward to exploring," Summers added.

"The opportunity will also allow me to meet with new people who view sport in a completely different way than I do as a competitor and also to meet a variety of athletes who excel in different sports.

"In sport we are always looking for an edge to get ahead and Sky's support is a very welcomed advantage to me over my competitors and I am extremely blessed to have this support."

"Being acknowledged in this way by Sky, being held up as a potential future Olympian and helped and supported by Sky is a big confidence booster. As an international athlete I have had an incredible journey so far, I have experienced and learned so much and I've grown as a sports person and as an individual.

"During the next four years I am hoping to be able to utilise many of my experiences as an athlete within my role as a Scholar.

"The power of female sporting role models has already played a very important part in my sporting success. If I can repay some of what has been given to me by becoming a role model to the next generation of sports stars nothing would please me more."

Freya Anderson has big ambitions in the pool as she embarks on a new chapter in her career as a Sky Sports Scholar.

The 16-year-old stormed to her first senior British title in the 100m Freestyle in April this year and made her senior debut at the World Championships three months later.

"As a Scholar I hope to get more confident and use all my given resources to better myself and work with the Sky team," Anderson said.

"As an athlete I hope to make the Commonwealth team, go to the Worlds in 2019 and then hopefully I'll be in Tokyo for the Olympics."

Anderson, who swims for Ellesmere College Titans in Shropshire, is now preparing for three years of Sky backing with financial support, a mentor and developmental and media training to boost her quest for success on the international stage.

TOP FACTS

1) Born: 4 March 2001
2) European Junior Champion in the 100m freestyle in Hungary in 2016
3) Awarded 'Emerging Swimmer of the Year' by British Swimming in 2016

"When I heard I got on the Scholarship program I couldn't believe it," she added. "I remember getting the email and struggled to process the news! I am so grateful for this opportunity to better myself in my sport.

"I initially felt nervous but meeting more people from Sky I have become more confident."

Hopes are high for the English sprinter and she should draw inspiration from former Scholar and GB team-mate Siobhan Marie-Connor, silver medalist at the Rio Olympics.

At the age of 16, Anderson has already built a reputable CV.

"One of my best achievements was in 2016 when I was 15 at the European Junior Championships," she said.

"No one expected me to win, not even myself, but it gave me a lot of confidence and started my journey.

"I also loved going to my first senior World Championships in Hungary this year. It was the best experience to learn from all the seniors and finishing 12th was more than I planned for!

"Becoming world junior champion in August was also amazing. It was a shock after being injured for six months but I definitely won't forget that moment!"

Joe Fraser wants to get flying inside and outside of the gym and take full advantage of what being a Sky Sports Scholar really means.

Former Scholar and gymnast Sam Oldham has provided plenty of knowledge and inspiration for the 18-year-old from Birmingham.

"It will be brilliant to have such an amazing team around me that all want the best for me," Fraser said.

"Sky will help me gain confidence when speaking to the public and in interviews. I have trained with Sam Oldham for a few years and seen how much the program has helped him grow as a person and as an athlete. Seeing how much it helped him, I look forward to our journey together.

"Over the next few years I am focused on European championships, Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Olympic Games.

"I want to contend for a medal so I will be working hard to achieve these targets. As a Scholar I want to develop as a much more confident person. With the amount of media training and financial support I will be able to push myself to get the best results.

TOP FACTS

1) Born: 6 December 1998, Birmingham
2) Won three golds, a silver and two bronzes at junior European Championships
3) British National Champion in All-Around in 2017

"I would like to say thank you to the Sky Scholarship program for wanting to be on my journey. I look forward to the future!"

If what's happened so far in Fraser's life, what lies ahead should be fascinating. He won gold at the 2015 European Youth Olympics and the 2016 junior European Championships.

In his first year as a senior in 2017, he won the All-Around title at the British Championships and was selected for the 2017 European Championships, finishing a respectable fifth in a very competitive field.

"In 2015 I became the European Youth Olympic Champion in the All-Around, Team and the Parallel Bars. I also won silver on the pommel horse and bronze on rings," he added.

"It was such an amazing championship and to finish the competition I was nominated as the Team GB's flag bearer for the closing ceremony which was a real big honour.

"Becoming the senior British champion this year was such an unreal achievement as it was my first year in this category.

"To have made such an impact on the nation was a confidence boost having competed against other gymnasts that I have idolised my whole life. These are Olympic medalists and I'm in the mix with them. It's such a great feeling."

WHO AM I

As a child, I was very hyperactive and found myself getting into 'trouble' at infant school for being noisy and pretty active! From jumping around the playground to looking for things in the class room to jump off!

My teacher suggested to my parents that they take me to our local leisure centre and get me introduced to a real gymnastics teacher in a bid to harness all my pent up energy. Right from the beginning, I loved it.

RISE OF A GYMNAST

As I progressed as a gymnast, I was entered into a schools area gymnastics competition through the gym coach who'd welcomed me as an infant. I went on to win the competition and after trials I joined the Nottingham Gymnastics Club.

I was selected to compete for GB for the first time aged 12 in Austria. I won the competition and around the same time Notts County Football Club offered me, and I duly signed, a four-year contract to take me up to scholarship age.

London won the 2012 Olympic bid and I felt I needed to make a serious choice between the two sports and despite interest from Nottingham Forest and Derby County, I chose gymnastics over football.

I was selected for the GB Junior European Team aged 15 in 2008, but halfway through my final floor routine, I broke my wrist. I still managed to continue and finish the routine to help us take gold; the first time Great Britain had ever won gold at any championships.

I went to the Beijing Games as part of the UK Sport "Ambition 2012 Programme" to get a taste of an Olympics. With extra funding after China, the GB Junior squad was based at Loughborough University, meaning I could move home and train full-time with Sergey Sizhanov, my childhood coach, again.

The Junior European Championships followed in 2010 where I took three golds, Individual All Around, Team gold and High Bar gold.

As European Junior Champion, I was selected for the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore and I came home as Youth Olympic High Bar Champion - I also took silver on Pommel.

Seniors was next and I made my European Senior debut in Berlin in 2011, aged 18, where I made the high bar final and finished just outside the medals in 4th.

Top 5 achievements

• Representing GB at London 2012 & winning first men's team medal in 100 years
• First British man to win major champs medal on High Bar at Moscow European Champs (2012)
• Recovering from ligament reconstructive surgery after injury at Commonwealth Games (2014)
• Junior European All-Around & High Bar champion making me a four-time junior European champion (2010)
• High Bar champion & Pommel Horse silver medalist at first Youth Olympics in Singapore (2010)

• LONDON 2012 IN DOUBT
  

  I competed at the World Championships 2011 in Tokyo. I had a collarbone injury but during the competition it got worse and developed into a stress fracture. I missed full training for four months, putting my 2012 Olympic selection in jeopardy.

  My last chance to force my way into the Olympic team was at the 2012 British Championships. I had the competition of my life and sealed my place in the team for London. After all my hard work, my highs and lows, I was just so happy.

  I have since followed up my Olympic bronze medal by becoming the first British male gymnast to win a medal on high bar at a major championships by winning silver at the 2013 European Championships in Russia, a country known for top-level gymnasts.

  

  HOW HAS BEING A SCHOLAR HELPED?
  

  The Scholarship is an amazing scheme. With the other athletes that are involved, it's an honour and a privilege to be picked alongside them to be part of this.

  The last few years have been a real rollercoaster. During this period I have experienced complete polar opposites. From being in the best physical shape of my career to having my horrible ankle injury.

  The 2014 European championships ended up being a great event for me and I came away with two silvers and it motivated me to push on for the World championships in China.

  Sky has been great with promoting and celebrating my achievements. I spent a morning at Sky Sports News HQ chatting with Jim White on live TV which was a great experience. I have also visited my local Sky Call Centre in Derby where I gave a talk to 20 employees.

  My short advert also came out in the summer of 2015 which was awesome! The actual gymnastics footage was great and I had really good feedback from within gymnastics community.

  MENTOR BOOST
  

  The partnership with my mentor Geoff Shreeves began around this time and I have to say it's one of the best parts of the program. He was worried at first that he knew nothing about gymnastics but I reassured him that we would get on just fine.

  One of my biggest worries was the media aspect of being an athlete. To have someone with that experience on the other end of a phone is invaluable and without Sky and their unbelievable resources I would not be able to have that kind of help.

  

  
  

  The injury I suffered at the Commonwealth Games was very tough for me and having Tony Lester and Geoff to talk to at this point was really reassuring for just my headspace more than anything.

  At the end of the year Geoff invited me to a Manchester United game where I had the chance to look behind the scenes and watch the rehearsal. He also arranged for me to chat to Jamie Rednapp, who suffered a similar injury to mine, we discussed the ups and downs and this was great experience for me.

  The funding has also been a great help. I was able to lease a Game Ready machine for months, which has made a massive impact on the speed of my recovery.

  In a sport like gymnastics we just don't have equipment like that you can borrow. So without the financial support this is something that just wouldn't have been possible for me to do.

  My media sessions have also been incredibly helpful and I benefited from it straight away. I had two public speaking events scheduled after the session. One was for Sportsaid, which was a motivational speech.

  The second was at Nottingham Forest Academy, taking to young players about what it takes to make it at the highest level. Sky came along to this and got some cool footage from it.

• 

  
  

WHO AM I?

I am a sprinter, long jumper and relay runner. I have been competing at City of Portsmouth Athletics Club in able-bodied competitions and haven't looked back since being invited to a Talent Introduction Day in 2012 where I was classified to compete nationally as a T38 athlete.

Once I started competing at the start of the 2012 season I came to the attention of UK Athletics again by achieving results which ranked me top in the UK in my category in the 100m, 200m and long jump.

I was sent to Croatia to be classified to compete internationally and was put on the list of athletes to be considered to compete at the 2012 Paralympics and invited to start training with the GB Women's relay team. I was only 15.

I made my international debut at the European Championships in Holland where I won bronze in the 100m and 200m and was described by the UK Athletics head coach Peter Erikson as "phenomenal".

I qualified for London 2012 and was the second youngest athlete.

Top 5 achievements

• 100m relay bronze at London Paralympics (2012)
• 2 x bronzes in first European Champs aged 15 (2012)
• Making shortlist for BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year (2012)
• Part of world record breaking 4x100m relay in Doha (2015)
• Chosen to be a Sky Academy Sports Scholar

AMBITIONS?

I want to inspire other disabled young people to realise their potential, particularly in the sporting arena and to win a Paralympic gold medal.

HOW HAS BEING A SCHOLAR HELPED?

After being awarded the Scholarship I moved to Oakland's Athletics Academy in St Albans where I live during the week and was introduced to my coaches Jonas Dodoo (sprint) and Julie Holman (long jump).

Being a Scholar has given me the confidence and financial ability to make this dramatic move and I haven't looked back since!

I did not have a particularly good 2013 and I felt that if Sky believed in me enough to award me a Scholarship then I felt I should believe in myself and that is what I did and threw myself into my new life in St Albans.

I have really enjoyed living and training at Oakland's where I have trained with some of the UK's best young athletes. It's been so inspirational and has made me even more determined to be successful.

My coaches have been amazing. With Julie's patience and understanding of how my body works I began to learn the art of long jumping. I have only been training since the beginning of 2014 so I still have a lot more to learn.

The Bursary from Sky Academy has also enabled me to go warm weather training to Tenerife a few times and also to San Diego. My cerebral palsy means that during cold weather my muscles get stiffer and training becomes less effective.

The warm weather training really helps with this and also gives me the opportunity to focus on and consolidate my training. I am also fortunate enough to have Di Dougherty from Game Changers as my mentor. It is great to have this support and receive the input of someone from outside the world of athletics.

I couldn't be more grateful to the Sky Sports Academy for the support and opportunities it has given me. The move to St Albans encouraged me to grow up earlier than I would have done otherwise.

I feel that I am a lot more mature and aware of myself and what I need to do to be successful. Hopefully I will be able to repay all this support this by continuing to work hard and improve.

WHO AM I?

Since a kid I've always thrown myself into all sport. When I was four I played football at my local leisure centre with a boys' team, switched to gymnastics at six and continued for seven years.

I then played more competitive football for my local club and during high school I threw myself into everything - even cross county. I then joined Blackburn Harrier athletics club doing hurdles, high jump and whatever else my club was short of.

I have achieved many things I've only ever dreamed of. I'm the British record holder in women's pole vault - indoors and outdoors. I've jumped 4.87m, placing me fourth in the all-time standings, won European Indoors gold and World Indoor bronze medals and was sixth in my home Olympic Games. I was also fifth in the final in Rio in 2016.

Top 5 achievements

• European champion (2013)
• Jumping 4.87m - 6th on World All-time list
• Two-time Olympic finalist (London & Rio)
• 8 x British champion
• British indoor & outdoor record holder
• 
  
• AMBITIONS?
  

I love my sport and especially my event. I love telling people about pole vault, inspiring young kids in schools or athletics club to get involved in my sport or any sport is the most rewarding thing.

I've witnessed how effective role models can be. David Beckham was my childhood hero and he inspired me massively, he showed me commitment and good sportsmanship is key and he is still my hero. If I could inspire just one person to take up sport then it would be worth it.

Although London 2012 was a great experience I feel the next few years are more important for our sport than any before. We have a great opportunity to create a legacy.

I really feel our legacy should be kids and getting them down the track involved in athletics, or any other sport. I truly believe that sport gives us valuable life tools such as dealing with tough scenarios and setting personal goals.

HOW HAS BEING A SKY SCHOLAR HELPED?

Being involved with Sky is such an honour. Being able to represent the company would obviously promote me as an athlete but more importantly would inspire many other youngsters to get involved in sports.

Sky has given me multiple opportunities to experience different things, including a behind the scenes tour of the studio to seeing what goes on behind closed doors. It enabled me to see what kind of jobs Sky offers and what life could be like after sport.

I feel with Sky behind me, increasing my exposure I can help inspire kids. I have seen what Sky have been doing with Jessica Ennis-Hill and how she has been inspiring . Sky is the perfect partner for me, the more people behind me that have an understanding of sport and exactly what it takes to be the best, the better.

Sky have already given me some great opportunities and I'm looking forward to more in the future.

Financially. Sky has enabled me to buy some essential recovery equipment including an ice machine and a compression machine. These have helped me recover from my injuries as quickly as possible and get back training hard. These will 100 per cent help me get to where I want to be at the Rio Games.

WHO HAS HELPED?

I have also had the opportunity to work with Darren Campbell. He's been such an amazing role model to me over the years and I was so glad when he was chosen to be my mentor. I was so excited to have him helping me out.

We've chatted a lot about pressure, dealing with injuries and coming back stronger, which has helped me so much.

WHO AM I?

I was double Junior World Road Race champion in 2011 and 2012, I've represented GB at the European Road Championships and won medals at the European Track Championships. In my first year as a senior I won my first pro race in China and joined up with my new team Wiggle-Honda at the start of 2016.

I am an endurance athlete with a sprint which enables me to be competitive in the final few kilometres of a race and I have used this skill to good effect to win races.

HOW DID MY CAREER PROGRESS?

I've been a part of the British Cycling Development Programme since I was 14 and I love being part of a team. I started with the GB Cycling Talent team, move onto the British Cycling Olympic Development Programme and now I'm part of the Academy.

The big aim is getting to the Olympics. By then I will have a good amount of experience in the women's peloton and hopefully the results to back up the experience.

Top 5 achievements

• Junior world road race champion (2011)
• Junior world road race champion (2012)
• Stage win in Route de France (2015)
• 3rd at Senior national Road champs (2016)
• 2nd in Tour de Yorkshire (2016)

AMBITIONS?

I feel I cannot only help people understand and want to take up cycling but I am so passionate about all sport that if a chance came up for me to help others get involved I would definitely jump at the opportunity.

I have already visited several primary schools to tell them my story and show them what you can achieve if you really put your mind to it.

HOW HAS BEING A SCHOLAR HELPED?

As a rider, I do a lot of travelling around Europe and if the team can't take me I have to do that myself. A lot of my team-mates have a job next to their cycling but being part of the Sky Scholarships allows me to focus fully on cycling and become the best athlete I can be.

Being a Scholar has been a great experience and a massive help to my career. Cycling is a very tough sport and Sky hasn't just helped me on the bike but also off the bike.

I was fortunate enough to take part in two media sessions. This has really helped me with my presence off the bike. As cycling has grown so much in recent years the media attention has too. I now feel that if and when I am interviewed pre/post race I have the confidence to answer in a calm manner.

Sky has given me the opportunity to work closely with a top athlete - my mentor is Annabel Croft. It's been really helpful to have someone I can talk to about some of my problems and get advice on things I am not sure about.

I have also spoken to Annabel about her experiences about reaching the highest level of her sport. I really believe that all of this help and advice can only help me with reaching my goals of competing at the highest level.

I have been living in the Netherlands for the last few years. With the help from Sky I have been able to fully concentrate on my training, even though it was really hard to move away from my family and friends.

Sky realise that as an athlete it isn't always easy training in the winter when the weather can be unkind to cyclists, so I have been able to train in warm weather training ahead of a new season. I went to Spain at the end of 2015 and Australia at the start of 2016.

Sky not only want to help with now and in the near future but also for after my career as a cyclist. I've had some amazing experiences by trying different careers in the studios and getting help from professional media training experts.

It's a pleasure to work with so many great athletes who are experiencing what I am, just in other sports.

"Get busy living or get busy dying."

Words made famous by Tim Robbins, playing Andy Dufresne in the 1994 movie The Shawshank Redemption, and now very much the mission statement burning deep inside Irish Paralympic cycling legend Mark Rohan.

It's been nearly 15 years since a motorbike accident ended a rapidly rising gaelic football career. By 2009 he had tried table tennis, lawn bowls, archery, basketball, soccer coaching and tennis. Then came an invite to join the national Paracycling team at the Milan World Championships.

Rohan won a world title a year later and was soon a Sky Scholar and 2012 double Paralympic champion. He quit in 2015 a year before Rio, but don't think for a second he's spending the rest of his days dining out on his golden London memories.

The 34-year-old from Ballinahown reflects on his American and African inspirations, how he's too busy to worry about missing cycling, his boost as a Sky Academy Sports Scholar and what happens next...

After the London Games I was busy celebrating victory, travelling round schools and local football clubs showing off my medals.

It took me two months to get back into training, I went to America watching NBA and NFL games and was in California preparing for the 2013 season. I also got into the Sky Sports Living for Sport programme. I was competing, training in the States and started to think about retiring after Rio.

Results weren't going very well. I had two months in San Jose and got going with a Masters in Sports Management in Madrid. It was all part of making the transition from being an athlete to having another career.

In November 2014, I visited an orphanage for disabled kids in Zambia and it was the most amazing two weeks in my life. It made me really reflect on things and put things into perspective, getting me to focus on what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was determined to give something back.

I decided to pack it up in 2015. It wasn't difficult to retire. I just wasn't competitive and I wasn't enjoying it as much. I needed new challenges and I was never going to do as well as I did in London and I felt I had done it all.

I wanted to see what else there was in life. I had some business interests and I was after some interesting projects.

The sporting success was covered and I wanted a good academic background programme. I also invested in a farm in Portugal where I'm building a sports retreat with a focus on the mental side of preparation. It should be ready by the end of 2017.

The aim will be to make people think about why we do things and what we do. I want to blend that with physical training and hopefully give back to those less fortunate.

I'm hoping to attract athletes from northern Europe for the winter, plus there will be corporate team-building to help people refocus their lives where they can exercise, meditate and improve self-awareness with a more holistic approach.

I was 30 when I got on the Sky Scholarship scheme. I had decided to manage myself, covering my finances and taxes.

From a Sky perspective, just having the brand linked with me increased my profile so much in Ireland and it opened up so many doors.

I had photo shoots, I learned how to act around professional people and how to contact people. All the major stuff was the communication skills, being on TV, how to interview, shape questions, all these things I have since used in my everyday life.

It was perfect for me and it was great to tap into those people. You can be pro-active or reactive and if you're pro-active then I've found that most people are more than willing to help.

Being a Scholar gave me huge confidence. Just the visiting Sky Sports and seeing the scale of the operation was immense. When you introduce yourself and say you're from Sky Sports and that they're the brand that's backing you - that's a good feeling.

Paralympics sports is not that big and so to be linked with Sky and tap into their expertise gave me a great boost.

Spending a day with my mentor and presenter Sean Fletcher at Herne Hill velodrome helped me see the evolution of sport and made me think about people with disability and how people are treated equally now. It made me realise how far everything had come.

The TV adverts involving me and the other Scholars in the run-up to London was mad. People were coming up to me saying "you're the guy from the Sky ad" and "you're the world champion". It was incredible.

You can look back on Google or youtube or whatever and see those adverts. When you're in the moment you're so focused on winning medals. I'm sure I will look back in 10 years and realise even more what a great thing it was for me.

I don't seem to have much time for riding at the moment. Everything is geared towards my MBA and I hopefully graduate in July. I can see myself getting back into basketball and playing more team sports.

I was lucky enough to be a mentor on the Sky Academy's Living for Sport. It's an initiative for schools using sports stars and skills learnt through sport to build confidence and develop life skills.

I could see all the benefits of this to make social change and it uses sport to make a positive social impact on people's lives.

The Rio Olympics and Paralympics is not far away now and I would recommend any Scholar and athlete to enjoy the journey and don't focus too much on the goal of the Games.

They shouldn't focus their success on results and medals and they should try to embrace the moment, learning from as many people as they can and learn as much as possible.

I'll be in California on an internship with a soccer team while it's going on in Brazil. When I watch it, I definitely won't have any thoughts that I should stuck with the cycling.

I will just keep going and I like to stay busy. My motivation is to make a living but it will never be profit driven. Get busy living or get busy dying!

The two-time World champion finally hung up his trunks and goggles in November 2016, but the former Sky Academy Sports Scholar can look back at a glittering career in the pool.

He broke the world record to win 50m backstroke gold in Rome in 2009 - setting a world record in the process - and defended his crown in Shanghai two years later.

Liam Tancock was Commonwealth champion in 2006 and 2010, he won bronze at Glasgow 2014, and is a double Olympian, making the finals in the 100m Backstroke and 200m IM at Beijing 2008, then finishing fifth in the 100m Backstroke.

Exeter's finest opens up on why being a Scholar was so amazing, why he loves the sport and his incredible memories of London 2012....

Maybe I am a bit mad. I've been doing it forever but I've always loved the coast and the water.

I come from a very sporty family and wherever I go I always find water! I just love being in the water, whether it's the sea or a pool. It's just something I grew up with. Or maybe I am mad!

The London Olympics is a huge highlight. I remember walking out in the final and the crowd were chanting my name - that was the one moment in our sport where you felt like a rock star or a footballer.

There were 17,500 people inside the Aquatic Centre. That was an amazing experience being part of incredible team.

Being a Scholar in the build-up to those Games was such a boost though. One of the most helpful things was being part of a team and that's something I've always enjoyed.

Swimming is an individual sport but you are part of a wider team ultimately. As a Scholar you interacted with other athletes. I am someone who learns from other people so it was amazing to hang out with other guys to develop relationships and see how others compete and hear their stories.

It really helped my performances. It's something a lot of individual sports don't get. Many sports you feel isolated. The Commonwealth Games and Olympics is when multi-sports comes into its own.

Meeting up with judo star Euan Burton and hearing about their experiences and some of the things they've gone through like injuries was great.

I got to watch what they do, why do they do certain things and their warm-ups. I got to find out why some athletes turn their water bottle up three times or jump up and down or bounce the basketball four times. I enjoyed seeing all of that.

It was all about seeing how people dealt with different things like politics in sport or having injuries. Having that support was amazing. It's like having a sibling in your team.

You got to learn dealing with things that went wrong by being in that network and having those connections which really made a difference.

I would recommend anyone to be a Scholar. If you're lucky enough to get on the scheme my advice would be this....

Be yourself, be open, listen to people around you. These people have been there and you might be able to learn a thing or two so just give it a go!

Perri-Shakes Drayton is injury free after three years and set for British Championships and Olympic trials

When you ask a world class athlete who's just run her first race for three years where they want to be and they say "Rio Olympics" in a barely audible whisper, you get it.

Perri-Shakes Drayton was GB's big hope in the 400m hurdles at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow six months after becoming European indoor champion. Her left knee was battered in the final and needed surgery.

Tears, comebacks, rehab, false hope, more injuries, more tears. Now there's hope. It's the British Championships and Olympic trials in Birmingham this weekend and the 27-year-old Londoner, who describes herself on social media as an 'athlete with the biggest smile', is quietly hoping she's back.

The ex-Sky Academy Sports Scholar, now focusing on the 400m flat, reveals all…

That smile for the last three years has had its up and downs. Not every situation has been a smiley matter. My injury has given me hell. I didn't think I'd be out of action for so long.

What kept me fighting was the hope. I knew I had potential for Rio and that hope kept me going. It's never an easy road after an injury. I managed to get through it by being positive and being surrounded by my family and coach.

I never once wanted to give up, but there was a point when I stopped asking myself if I would run again. I never seemed to reach any of my recovery deadlines. That was very annoying.

My crying started from the beginning as soon as I was told I needed an operation. I felt so lonely. I linked up with Dr Steve Peters [who's worked with England's and Liverpool's footballers] and he talked about his 'chimp' and needing to deal with any negative thoughts entering my head.

He taught me to do things that made me feel good and happy about myself. That turned out to be getting my hair and nails done and online shopping! Buying things made me feel good.

My coach Chris Zah has also helped so much. He's coached me for 16 years - he's a legend. We grew up together from grass roots to world level and he's still battling with me today!

We are very close. During my low times I could vent to him and my dad. I take on board what he says and he knows what I'm capable of. When he sees my running time on his stopwatch he tells me if I'm in the right place.

During all my rehab I couldn't go on holiday, but I was able to go to New York for treatment and that was great having one-on-one treatment with [former Chelsea FC physio] Dave Hancock . It was intense but I came back feeling much better.

I still wasn't able to run but I was making improvements and I felt I was really getting there. I started running in 2014 and then I needed more surgery and it was more setbacks.

Every year with a major championship coming up I kept telling myself 'maybe next year'. I was still on the bike and having pool sessions and then reality would hit me. But by the end of 2015 I started feeling good and was thinking, 'I've got no pain, we've got a chance'.

I was all set for my first race in America but then I hurt my hamstring and they wrote off my season. I thought, 'How many times am I going to be tested?' I stayed out there for rehab with my coach and my boyfriend kept me positive.

The weather helped and I just tried not to think about everything too much. I finally got to run a relay in Regensburg in Germany on June 6 and I loved it. I thought, 'This is where I need to be - this is where I belong'. It gave me great confidence and I thought, 'I've still got it!' My legs felt good and the knee held up.

Next was Geneva for my first individual race and despite heavy rain I ran a good time (52.59s). In Nancy, France last week I was quicker again (52.43). I'm definitely heading in the right direction.

And now for the Olympic trials this weekend. I'm really looking forward to it. I usually go into a competition as the fastest girl but not this time!

But I know I've tried my best. I'm a fighter and that's my middle name. Although I may have to be content with a relay spot. There was a point when I didn't think I would ever be in action again so I'd settle for that. I just take each day as it comes.

Something that's helped me in the past, way back before the 2012 London Games, was being a Sky Scholar.

Getting sponsorship and having all that support was amazing. The money was great obviously but it just made my life easier where I could concentrate on being an athlete.

To be featured on Sky Sports News HQ was fantastic. Sky gave me insight to lots of avenues I could take after athletics, like in the media. Presenter Vicky Gomersall was great and she saw my world. Support is so important and I'm so grateful for everything I had as a Sky Scholar.

I also do my own fitness classes and I've started a partnership with a water company where I put on classes in different iconic locations in London - like the Shard, Acquatic centre and the Shoreditch studios.

My latest one was on a ship! It's really helped my motivation and taken my mind off things and all my training. You can't be too wrapped up in your own little world. I've enjoyed every minute of it and I wish I could do it more.

It's been a busy few weeks but after the trials, there's nothing in the diary - we'll just see how it goes. The top two in Birmingham get automatic spots for Rio and if I don't make that I have time up to the middle of July to get the qualifying time of 52.2s. I've done 52.43 so I'm not far away.

Over the next few months I would love to make the Rio Olympics. All I want to know is that I've tried my best, but I know I've done all I can to get there.

After retiring from judo for a second time as Commonwealth champion in 2014, you'd think Euan Burton would have quietly stepped into an office job that didn't involve throwing people on to mats.

Not his style. The 37-year-old now keeps himself busy hurling his wife across the floor… and getting paid for it! Burton, born in Ascot, is leading the judo performance programme for his adopted Scotland in Edinburgh.

Gemma Gibbons, AKA Mrs Burton and Olympic silver medalist in 2012, could not have a better mentor and coach in her corner.

Her husband reveals why he made a U-turn on quitting the sport, his love affair with Scotland and how being a Sky Academy Sports Scholar ignited his career.

I was on the podium at the Commonwealths and I just felt relief. I was in Glasgow, in front of a sell-out home crowd, Scottish flags were everywhere and everyone was screaming. It was the perfect way to hang up my judo kit and I thought this has been a good career.

There were 24 months to Rio and I had moved up two weight categories to 100kg. I had been fighting at 81kg which meant a lot of dieting. My natural progression was to move to 90 but because I was coaching those three fighters trying to qualify at that same weight I would have felt very uncomfortable going against them!

It turned out that I had done something pretty special.

The Olympic level is something very different. My body was getting older and my ability and motivation to go through the torture at the elite level was probably waning! I would be 37 in Rio and I wasn't willing to be at an Olympics just to take part. Winning a medal didn't feel realistic so I was happy to let the younger guys take over!

I first gave up judo after the 2012 Olympics which hadn't gone to plan. I had the desire and drive to win a medal but that didn't materialise. I moved into coaching and was working with the Scottish athletes aiming for the Commonwealth Games and we had high aspirations being a home Games.

A year after London I was just a coach keeping my eye on the mat. All my focus was on the coaching, but I had never competed for Scotland having always fought under the Union Jack for Britain at the major competitions.

I had spent my whole career training in Scotland and I was very proud to be a Scottish athlete and I thought that if I could give something back and win a medal it would be good for me and Scotland and to end my career.

I was training so much in those last six months. I was then told to focus on winning a medal in the last three months! Fortunately I won gold and it was the most successful Commonwealths ever for Scotland and for judo - It was 30 medals, 14 athletes, six golds - not a bad return!

I was a Scholar in the build-up to London 2012 and it helped in so many ways. Something I became of aware of very quickly was the level and professionalism of the profile of myself as an athlete and judo as a sport.

We weren't stupid because many people didn't know what judo was but driving in Edinburgh seeing the Sky branding and the Team GB branding on a bus stop was amazing and for people to view me as athlete and to make people think that's a sport our kids could do was incredible - that was a major benefit.

I got texted from people at bus stops beside my picture saying 'you're not looking too bad as an old man'! It represented the sport in a good way. People involved in judo are very passionate and they wished more people knew about judo and so getting feedback from Sky and how well you're coming across gave me a good feeling. Seeing your face on the big posters was unreal though! It was almost embarrassing but in a very good way. Boosting the profile of the sport is something I'm very proud of.

I didn't capitalise with a medal but my wife did with a silver at London. She took everybody's hearts.

The amount of time and work you put into your sport, the money you make is often disproportionate and so getting the support from the Scholarship scheme was just a fantastic feeling. It was small things like getting those experiences visiting the Sky studios understanding how to promote yourself, how the industry works and what makes a good story.

It taught me how to deliver my story in a 30-second snippet in front of camera. That makes a big difference as an athlete. Being able to present and talk to people now, you cannot underestimate how big an impact those experiences can have on you going forward.

One amazing thing about the Scholarships was the variety of athletes. We had gymnast Louis Smith and swimmer Liam Tancock and we were all brought together for promotion. You can get caught up in a bubble of your own sport and it was so good to share experiences of other sports with people who went through similar things.

I was always trying to learn and take the good from what anybody is doing and that was very beneficial. I picked up so many little ideas on adjusting training or preparing better.

For any new Scholars, I would recommend them embracing all the opportunities. Get out of your comfort zone! Certain experiences will fill you with dread and you'll wonder how you'll cope. But anything that challenges you help you develop.

They'll need to understand it's such a huge honour to be a Scholar and such a huge opportunity to meet people and learn. Even a tiny fraction of their ability as an athlete can mean the difference between standing or not standing on the podium.

Being the national high performance coach is challenging but my goal is to do well, particularly with athletes heading to the Olympics and Paralympics. I want those guys to be as well prepared as possible and hopefully we can put them in a place to deliver something special.