Year to go: Paralympian Olivia Breen on her Rio Games dreams
By Mark Ashenden
Last Updated: 08/09/15 2:52pm
In 12 months, the Paralympic Games get under way and one athlete is hoping they can repeat their heroics from the London stage in 2012.
Olivia Breen has done a lot of growing up since surging to bronze at the London Paralympics and it's been another strong season for the Sky Academy Scholar.
The 19-year-old recently clocked a personal best 13.42 seconds at the Anniversary Games to win another bronze in the T38 100m.
After chilling in Greece on a mid-season break, the Welsh teenager is now gearing up for the World Championships in Doha in October and she is well aware that the biggest stage in Brazil is fast approaching ..........
Wow! I can't believe it's only one year to go. Time has just flown by. Three years ago I competed in London 2012 as the second youngest member of Team GB. My selection for those Games came as a compete surprise to me. This time, everything is different.
I have spent the last three years training and working really hard towards my goal. That's Rio. It is always at the front of my mind and it is what gets me to training every day.
London 2012 was without question the best experience of my life. I was just 16 and I was competing in front of 80,000 people. I was so young and inexperienced.
I just enjoyed the whole thing and didn't feel too much pressure and I was just happy to make the finals in both my events.
Winning a medal was beyond my wildest dreams and to achieve a bronze medal in the relay in London with my school friends and family in the crowd was incredible. I still feel very emotional thinking about it!
Since London 2012, my life has completely changed and training has become the most important part of it. Being awarded the Sky Sports Academy Scholarship in 2013 gave me such a boost and the confidence in myself to believe that I could be on the podium in Rio.
I have had another great year in 2015. I have achieved personal bests in the 60m, 100m, 200m and long jump which shows the hard work is paying off which is such a good feeling. Winning a bronze at the Anniversary Games in July on my birthday was definitely the highlight of my year.
Being back in the Olympic stadium was amazing and brought back so many happy and amazing memories.
I then had a couple of weeks off. I went on holiday to Greece for a week which was so nice and I felt like my body just needed to rest. I was so tired and I now feel really refreshed and ready for more action!
I managed to win the ambulance long jump for team South West at the School Games on Friday night in Manchester. It's such a great event.
I am now really looking forward to going to the Sky Sports News HQ Studios to talk about the countdown to Rio.
In a couple of weeks I am going to train in Tenerife with both my coaches for 10 days in preparation for the World Championships in Doha.
Selection takes place on September 16 when I am away. I really hope I have done enough to achieve it. Fingers crossed!
WHAT'S COMING UP FOR OUR SCHOLARS...
SEPTEMBER 8-14: Jack Bateson - Feliks Stamn boxing tournament, Poland
SEPTEMBER 10-21: Olivia Breen - Warm weather training
SEPTEMBER 12: Holly Bradshaw - Gateshead
SEPTEMBER 26: Sam Oldham - Gymnastics London Open
