0:00:07 > 0:00:11This month, my journey takes me back to the sport I grew up with.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17A sport which dominated my childhood and adolescence
0:00:17 > 0:00:21and shaped much of who I am today.
0:00:21 > 0:00:2516-year-old Welsh rhythmic gymnast, Gabby Yorath.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29Gymnastics, my first love.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33This place is a lot like my old gym.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37It smells familiar, it sounds familiar and it feels so safe.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44I suppose that's one of the many great things sport can give you -
0:00:44 > 0:00:46that sense of belonging.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49And off we go... there we are. Now, stand up.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54An injury ended up forcing me to give up the sport I loved
0:00:54 > 0:00:58and I still miss it. Coming here brings it all back.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01One, two, three and circle forwards.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Lower down, there we are, perfect.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12This is Huntingdon Gymnastics Club and it caters for everyone.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Right now you've got parents and toddlers in here.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16In a couple of hours, school children will be coming in,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19disability classes happen here and at the end there,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21some of the best gymnasts in the world.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24World class gymnasts training all under one roof.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Your Olympic journey could start right here.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37This little boy joined the club almost 20 years ago.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41His mum was struggling to cope with his boundless energy.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46It was later revealed he was suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50He's now one of Britain's most successful gymnasts.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52I used to have reins when I was younger.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Did you get that from my mum or not? No, she never mentioned the reins.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56I used to be on reins until I was seven.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Sounds like they were designed for you. Until you were seven? Something like that.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Louis Smith tells me how gymnastics changed his life.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Also, coming up on Inspire: The Olympic Journey...
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Lee McKenzie spends the day with six-time Olympian Mary King
0:02:12 > 0:02:17and her daughter Emily, who's hoping to follow in her mother's footsteps.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21And Lizzie Armitstead gives us a behind-the-scenes guide to
0:02:21 > 0:02:23a gruelling world cup cycling race in France.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31We want to inspire you with the stories we tell,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34so, if you want to find out more about any sport or a club
0:02:34 > 0:02:37like this at Huntingdon, click onto our website for more details.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45I'm here with Paul Hall,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48who is the head gymnastics coach here at Huntingdon Gymnastics Club.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52To the wider public, they know you as the man behind Louis Smith,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55as well and seeing you at the Olympic Games and things
0:02:55 > 0:02:58but I guess they're the glory days, the great days.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00This is where all the hard work goes on.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03How important is this gymnastics club to the community?
0:03:03 > 0:03:05I hope that it's very important.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07I'm very proud of the club,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09not just because of the Olympic results that we've produced,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11but by virtue of the fact that
0:03:11 > 0:03:12we are a big service to the community.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14We like to think we cater for all sorts of people,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17from toddlers, eight weeks old on a Friday morning,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20right through to adults on a Monday night, up to 60 years old.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Full range of ability, as well.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Louis Smith at one end and challenging behaviours,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27learning disabled, all sorts of people at the other end.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30What have you seen that tells you that the legacy of Louis'
0:03:30 > 0:03:33success and British gymnastics' success over the last five or
0:03:33 > 0:03:37six years, is actually increasing participation?
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Is there a direct link, something tangible for you?
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Well, you should talk to our receptionists,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44who have to deal with the multitude of phone calls that we had
0:03:44 > 0:03:45immediately after the Olympic Games and
0:03:45 > 0:03:48so many people that want to be the next Louis Smith that want to come along.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Let's talk about the young Louis and when he first came along
0:03:52 > 0:03:55and was quite, er...lively, shall we say?
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Maybe a little bit disruptive, a little bit chaotic.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01What did you see in him?
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Well, he had boundless energy, incredibly motivated,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08very difficult to concentrate for more than about a minute at a time.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10So, he was always driving his friends up the wall,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14doing different things, being in places that he shouldn't have been.
0:04:14 > 0:04:15Quite hard to manage.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I used to have to discipline him quite a lot, send him to the
0:04:18 > 0:04:20pommel horse to do extra double leg circles.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23But he was an incredibly energetic and enthusiastic young boy.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26I didn't necessarily see talent early on,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28I didn't realise that he could actually do what he's done
0:04:28 > 0:04:30until he was about 13 years old, I think.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38This back leg needs to be straight, girls.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40This gymnastics club is a great example of how
0:04:40 > 0:04:43success at senior level can inspire participation
0:04:43 > 0:04:45and of course it's happened to a range of sports,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49for example cycling, thanks to the likes of Lizzie Armitstead.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52The Olympic silver medallist has spent this season
0:04:52 > 0:04:54working towards a good result
0:04:54 > 0:04:57at the World Road Cycling Championships in Florence.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01This is a snapshot of Lizzie's life on the road.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Being a professional road cyclist is a completely unique job,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07I would say.
0:05:07 > 0:05:08You are kind of on your own.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16I spend March until September on the road, going between races
0:05:16 > 0:05:18and not much time spent at home.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21It's brilliant, but it's also difficult to explain to anybody,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24friends or family, what kind of job you have.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Today is a typical pre-race day.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32I went on the rollers this morning, just did 20 minutes easy,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34just to wake up and it's about the only time in the day
0:05:34 > 0:05:36you have to yourself, really.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39So, get on the rollers, headphones on,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41then go to breakfast with everybody.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47I ride for Boels-Dolmans, which is a Dutch team.
0:05:51 > 0:05:57There's British, Belgian, Dutch, German nationalities within the team.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02In most races you start with six. I'll be a protected rider,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05along with Adrie Visser from Holland, Marieke Van Wanroij
0:06:05 > 0:06:07is our super domestique,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10she does a lot of the looking after.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Jessie Daams is a Belgian girl, she's a very big talent.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Emma Trott as well in the team, the one who's always smiling.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Nina Kessler, very strong sprinter, so we've got every base covered,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25really, for every eventuality within the race.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Today's pre-race ride is the time that we come
0:06:30 > 0:06:31together before the race.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34It's always just an easy ride, just to look at the course
0:06:34 > 0:06:39and see what aspects of the course may be influential in the race.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41It's just a chance to look at the course together
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and talk about the technical aspects of it, really.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49For me, riding a bike is about the freedom that you
0:06:49 > 0:06:53get from producing your own power to move, basically.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57You're out on the open road and you travel for miles and miles
0:06:57 > 0:07:01and everywhere I go, I get to see a lot of that area
0:07:01 > 0:07:04because I'm on two wheels and I'm seeing it all.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Sort of that romantic view of travelling
0:07:10 > 0:07:13along in the countryside going at your own speed is what I enjoy.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Being a team leader has all sorts of responsibilities,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23like on the bike it means that everybody's looking out for you,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26protecting you from the wind.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Their finish line could be 60k into a 140k race, really.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35But off the bike it means that you're the kind of person
0:07:35 > 0:07:38that people can come to if they've got a problem
0:07:38 > 0:07:40and talk about any worries they have.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44You, sort of, have to take on quite a responsible role for everybody, really.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Plouay is one of the best races on the calendar.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58I mean, when you go round, there's about 2,000 campervans.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01People come just to enjoy the festival.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04It's more like a world championships, it's barriered
0:08:04 > 0:08:07all around the circuit, there's flags everywhere, it's a great race.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08Merci.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12I'd love to be in the top ten, it's the last world cup of the season
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and I'd like to finish the world cups off with a good placing.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18The last two weeks in training haven't been great,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21I've been sick, so it's out of my hands now.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25I'll give it my best and hopefully come away with something.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33We have a team meeting when we arrive at the racecourse to talk
0:08:33 > 0:08:36about tactics and that's the moment that I switch on, with about an
0:08:36 > 0:08:41hour to go and then I start thinking about the race and what might happen
0:08:41 > 0:08:44but again, I'm pretty good with my nerves and as soon as the start
0:08:44 > 0:08:48gun goes, I'm just focused on what I'm doing in the race.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50ANNOUNCEMENT IN FRENCH
0:08:52 > 0:08:55I have huge pride in my British national jersey.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59It means that every race I enter, I'm announced as the British champion
0:08:59 > 0:09:02and it's something special to, sort of, feel like in every
0:09:02 > 0:09:06race I'm representing Great Britain as well as my trade team.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be good.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11I'm hoping that the rain might come,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14though, to make it a bit more interesting.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26To beat Marianne Vos, you need a very good day
0:09:26 > 0:09:28and a strong team, yeah.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I mean, she's not unbeatable,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32she's the best in the world - consistently the best
0:09:32 > 0:09:35in the world, but on anybody's day they can beat her, I think.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Trois, deux, un...
0:09:46 > 0:09:48In every race you have three members of staff.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52Danny is the sports director, he's the guy who sits in the car,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56with the radio behind the race, telling us what to do.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00There's a few different tactics involved, so you have to work
0:10:00 > 0:10:03out your tactic versus what other teams might want to happen.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07With us, we'll treat it as a one-day race
0:10:07 > 0:10:10and hope to get somebody in an early breakaway and then either me
0:10:10 > 0:10:12or Adrie will jump across to it later.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Plouay is the start of this racing block, it's a good indicator of
0:10:19 > 0:10:23what form I've got and then what form the girls around me have got.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25There's still four weeks to go until the World Championships,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29so things can still change but it's an indicator of who's doing what.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Motivation, for me, has never been a problem.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40I guess, maybe that's the silver lining with the silver medal.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42You haven't quite got there yet.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50London was definitely the biggest experience I've ever had
0:10:50 > 0:10:53and I think WILL ever have in my sporting career.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56In terms of managing my expectation, that's been difficult
0:10:56 > 0:10:59because you get an Olympic medal and you think that
0:10:59 > 0:11:02you're on top of the world, but it's still a big struggle.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Everything I do is aimed towards the Olympics, definitely.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21That's why, you know, if you have a bad race,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23then you have to learn from it and take stock from it and not
0:11:23 > 0:11:27get too disheartened because there is bigger goals on the horizon.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44When someone like Marianne attacks,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46you really need to be on her wheel so that you don't have to
0:11:46 > 0:11:49make up any ground on her when she goes for the jump.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53So, I was in a pretty good position, but the legs weren't!
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Right now, I'm just disappointed that I couldn't quite go with the top girls.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03There are reasons for it, but, yeah, I still don't enjoy losing.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07We've got a five-hour drive now, to somewhere near Paris,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10to stay in a hotel tonight before continuing the drive to Holland.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13There'll be plenty of banter going on in the car and we'll
0:12:13 > 0:12:17talk about it and we'll get over it and we'll move on to the next race.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Bye!
0:12:24 > 0:12:30One, two, three, now circle forwards and lower down.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33The mark of a true champion is how you deal with disappointments,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37using setbacks to push you on, not hold you back.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40The Olympic journey can often be a bumpy one, as the most famous
0:12:40 > 0:12:45member of this gymnastics club knows only too well.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Louis Smith was diagnosed with
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder -
0:12:50 > 0:12:53also known as ADHD - aged just seven.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56His mother had tried a range of sports in an attempt to find
0:12:56 > 0:12:59a way to release and channel his energy.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Gymnastics worked and the rest was history.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08So, Louis, take me right back to the beginning
0:13:08 > 0:13:11and the very first time you went into the gymnastics club.
0:13:11 > 0:13:12I think I was about four years old.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17I just remember always trying to learn something new
0:13:17 > 0:13:21and do something different. I really pushed the boundaries of what
0:13:21 > 0:13:24I could do as a kid and you know, learning things like the hand stand.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27You know, the coach would tell us to do it against the wall
0:13:27 > 0:13:29and kids would be falling and I could get straight up.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33So, it kind of came easy? It showed quite early on that I had a knack.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36You know, I can't ever remember messing around, but I think I was quite a handful.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Well, we kind of know that, don't we,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41cos that was one of the reasons your mum to you into it in the first place,
0:13:41 > 0:13:46because of your ADHD, which at four, hadn't been diagnosed.
0:13:46 > 0:13:52I can see how gym definitely gave me direction and a target in life
0:13:52 > 0:13:55and it definitely kept me on the straight and narrow.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58And your mum's dedication to getting you there,
0:13:58 > 0:14:03to making sure that you stayed there and giving you that support.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05She really did sacrifice a lot of her time,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09a lot of her free time as well, to try and help me and my brother,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12you know, do the sport and go as far as we could in it.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15So, yeah, a lot of my success comes down to her.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18And then on the other side, I've read a quote from you, saying that
0:14:18 > 0:14:22gymnastics was like a father because of your relationship with Paul Hall.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24I guess it taught me a lot about life.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26But also, being very respectful of your coach.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29You know, even if he's wrong, he's always right.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32So you never answer back, being punctual, being on time,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35how to conduct yourself around other people.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38You've mentioned your mum and Paul perhaps as the two most pivotal characters.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41What did it mean, first of all in Beijing, when you became the first
0:14:41 > 0:14:44British man for 100 years to win an individual medal?
0:14:44 > 0:14:47It was a big pat on the back.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50I've never been OK with just being a competitor,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52I've always believed in my ability.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55It meant so much, knowing that the next four years
0:14:55 > 0:14:59I had some solid ground to build on, to compete again in London.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03You know, I went on again and got a silver medal. It was brilliant!
0:15:05 > 0:15:08And a little flourish to come off. That is superb!
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Elaine, tell us about Louis, the little boy.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17When you knew something wasn't quite right, but he hadn't yet been
0:15:17 > 0:15:20diagnosed with ADHD, what was his behaviour like?
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Well, he got diagnosed at seven,
0:15:23 > 0:15:28so before that, he was just a very active child.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32You know, you see other children and then you see yours running around
0:15:32 > 0:15:37like a headless chicken all the time, you know, he didn't give up.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Was it a relief to be told, "this is why"?
0:15:40 > 0:15:46Yes, for someone to say, "Oh, yes, you know, he's got this."
0:15:46 > 0:15:49And I was just so pleased.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Without gymnastics, how different would Louis' life have been?
0:15:53 > 0:15:57The gym has helped him in so many ways
0:15:57 > 0:15:59and he had such a good relationship with Paul.
0:15:59 > 0:16:00When he was little he'd say,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03"Oh, I don't want to go if Paul's not going."
0:16:03 > 0:16:07So Paul had to leave his family and go to every trip with Louis,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09you know, when they were training away.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14So, what was it like for you, first of all Beijing,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18when he landed his dismount and he looked up, didn't he?
0:16:18 > 0:16:21He had his eyes closed and looked up...
0:16:21 > 0:16:23I feel quite sick, even talking about it now.
0:16:23 > 0:16:29Only parents of children that compete know that feeling.
0:16:29 > 0:16:35In 2012, there was a lot of expectation for him to medal
0:16:35 > 0:16:40and then he got emotional because it was a relief.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44And then the tears come. Oh!
0:16:44 > 0:16:48It was terrible...but it was a real journey.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51I never thought, really, when he started doing gym at
0:16:51 > 0:16:56four years old that it would have led to that.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02We're going to go back now to a place where it all began.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06OK, where it all started? And it's about 30 miles is it? About that.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10You're driving? We can get there quite quick. You a good driver?
0:17:10 > 0:17:12I'm safe.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Have you missed me? Course we've missed you. Oh, give me a hug.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24How you getting on, all right? I'm all right, I'm all right.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26I used to have reins when I was younger.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Did you get that from my mum, or not? No, she never mentioned the reins.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31I used to be on reins until I was, like, seven.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Sounds like they were designed for you. Until you were seven? Something like that.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38I think I've probably spent more time in here than I have at home.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41What's it like when you come in? It's refreshing.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Now that I've had a break from the sport,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46when I come back in, it's nice to come back and to see it.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49You know, when you're coming in here every day, it gets a bit
0:17:49 > 0:17:53tiresome, but I do miss it. Do you? Yeah.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Enough to get yourself back in?
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Mmmm, I mean, enough to get myself back in and train.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01I don't miss the side of competing.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04In the end, it got very stressful, it got quite hard.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08Are you of the mindset that you will at some point make a final
0:18:08 > 0:18:10announcement that this is it?
0:18:10 > 0:18:13I think I do have a responsibility to do that.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Erm, but I'm just not sure, really.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18In terms of gymnastics, I am getting older
0:18:18 > 0:18:21and there are young whippets coming up that constantly push you
0:18:21 > 0:18:25and you have to try and stay and prove yourself, why you should be in the team.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29When you come in here, though and you see pictures of you all over the walls and you know,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32campaigns you've been involved with, what does it feel like?
0:18:32 > 0:18:34It's nice to see your journey on the wall, I guess.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37When you walk in and you know, you see when I was 14
0:18:37 > 0:18:43and there's a news article when I'm 16, growing up, it's cool.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46It's nice to know that all the hard work my mum put in and my coach,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49you know, I've got something to show for it at the end of it.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54And not only that, the kids now that want to come, you've got kids
0:18:54 > 0:18:56signing up to try and get in here and train.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59It's nice to see the legacy carrying on.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Well, it's been fascinating spending time with Louis Smith
0:19:05 > 0:19:09and his mum, Elaine, who's been there every single step of the way.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11We now feature a young rider whose mum has been
0:19:11 > 0:19:14just as instrumental in her journey so far.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Lee McKenzie went to Devon to meet up with Emily and her mum,
0:19:18 > 0:19:19Mary King.
0:19:21 > 0:19:27So, I've come to deepest Devon to find a six-time Olympian and her daughter,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31who's hoping to follow in her mother's pretty impressive footsteps.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34It's a fantastic story and I can't wait to meet them.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46What do you want? I have nothing for you.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Do you feel the dynamic of your day has changed now that you're
0:19:51 > 0:19:54not going to school and that this is your job?
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Before, I would leave at about quarter past seven to catch
0:19:57 > 0:20:01the bus to school and then have a full day there
0:20:01 > 0:20:05and get back about half six-ish, so in the summer I'd try
0:20:05 > 0:20:07and ride before school if possible.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09So, it was pretty full-on,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12so it's really nice to just have this to concentrate on now.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15And there's still a lot more to do today? Exactly, yeah. A lot more.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17So, we're just going to grab some breakfast
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and then we're going to come out and Lee's going to help muck out.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22I'm going to be a helper today for you.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Get your fuel for the day. Exactly. Very handy around the home.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32I know, you're welcome to come more often!
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Obviously your mother's been a huge influence, but what age were you when you first sat on a horse?
0:20:36 > 0:20:41I think I would have been about five years old.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Even younger, I think when I was quite tiny,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47mum used to hold me on some of the young horses' backs to get them
0:20:47 > 0:20:49used to having something on their back.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52I've been very relaxed, I mean, it's lovely that she has but I've
0:20:52 > 0:20:56never persuaded her to ride, it's always been in her to want to ride.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58You know, I wouldn't have minded
0:20:58 > 0:21:02if she'd gone off and done something else completely different.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Erm, but it is lovely that she's doing this.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08When I was young, I was completely oblivious of her being who
0:21:08 > 0:21:12she was, but now I'm getting a bit older I'm just starting to
0:21:12 > 0:21:16realise that bit of pressure that people do watch me,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19knowing that I've got a mum being who she is.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Here's where the hard work starts, I imagine.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23I'm quite good at mucking out.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27I'm better at mucking out than I am at riding. Perfect.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29For anyone who thinks that working with horses is just
0:21:29 > 0:21:33a glamorous pastime, you can see the truth of it here, can't you?
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Exactly, yeah, really not the most glamorous back at home.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39I love to watch Emily ride.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41I suppose, I know she's on good horses,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44but I still get butterflies watching her.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49You know, more the hope she doesn't have a mistake that'll make
0:21:49 > 0:21:52it all so upsetting, the whole thing.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Obviously it's dangerous and you can get hurt if things go wrong.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Erm, but you don't think about it as a rider.
0:21:58 > 0:21:59If you did, you wouldn't do it.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04It's amazing to think, two hours into the day and this hard work is
0:22:04 > 0:22:07still going on and you've not even sat on a horse yet. I know.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11People said to me, when they heard I was pregnant, they said, "You wait,
0:22:11 > 0:22:15"once you have your child, you'll lose that drive to want to
0:22:15 > 0:22:18"compete at the top level and you'll lose your competitive edge."
0:22:18 > 0:22:20And I remember seeing,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24after I had Emily, I was back in the saddle quite quickly
0:22:24 > 0:22:27and going off to my first event six weeks later
0:22:27 > 0:22:31and there was my mum with Emily in a pushchair at the start
0:22:31 > 0:22:33of the cross-country course and I thought, well,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37I wonder how I'll feel cos everybody says that it won't be the same.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40And I was galloping along, jumping, thinking,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43"Feels just the same to me".
0:22:43 > 0:22:47I think we're in a bit of a jengo with the barrow, I think...
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Someone's going to have to take that somewhere.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56I just feel very fortunate that I've got a daughter that we can
0:22:56 > 0:22:58really share our lives.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01You know, although we're here together, working together,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05she's quite independent. Erm, I don't teach her a lot.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07I used to hate her teaching me, I used to not...
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Even though she is who she is, I used to think she's my mum
0:23:10 > 0:23:14and doesn't know what she's talking about, but now I'm starting to realise that maybe
0:23:14 > 0:23:16if I do listen to her then I might get a bit better!
0:23:16 > 0:23:19She's finding it so hard landing on that right leg.
0:23:19 > 0:23:20Some days she'll say,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23"Oh, Mummy, can you just come and help me jump Zippy..."
0:23:23 > 0:23:25or something and I'll go to the arena
0:23:25 > 0:23:30and help put up fences and then I know she's open for me to start saying,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34"Actually keep your hands down a bit or ride a bit more forward."
0:23:34 > 0:23:37But if I start to tell her things when she's not ready,
0:23:37 > 0:23:42you know, she doesn't want to know and I want us to stay good friends.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45I think it's good for her to learn from her mistakes
0:23:45 > 0:23:47and it'll make her a better rider at the end of the day.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51It's so interesting for me watching how Mary and Emily train.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53There's no gimmicks.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55We're in a field, in Devon, it's trying its hardest to rain and yet
0:23:55 > 0:23:57you've got a six-time Olympian
0:23:57 > 0:24:00and a future hopeful training in this field -
0:24:00 > 0:24:01it's just so refreshing to see.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Do you still want to keep going? You're hungry for more?
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Yes, so many people, I think,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11after London thought that maybe I'd hang up my boots, but no,
0:24:11 > 0:24:18I still have this drive to want to still have success at the top level.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21I gather no other British athlete has competed at seven
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Olympic Games, so I'd be setting a record
0:24:24 > 0:24:29and I've been fortunate enough, I've won two silvers and a bronze
0:24:29 > 0:24:33but there's one colour missing, so I really need to do that if I can.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36Rio. Realistically, what do you think your chances are of not only you
0:24:36 > 0:24:39being on the team, but also you could be on the team with your mother?
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Obviously it would be absolutely incredible,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46I'll be 20 for Rio, so for our sport it is pretty young.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50Well, it would be wonderful to compete together in a team
0:24:50 > 0:24:54but, you know, it's hard enough just getting in a team yourself
0:24:54 > 0:24:57let alone for it to both come good for us in the same year.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00It would be more difficult for me to get there than it would for Mum.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05Even though I'm younger, but she...with her experience, it's a lot...
0:25:05 > 0:25:06It'd be a lot easier for her.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09I'm not going to rule it out, even though it would be very
0:25:09 > 0:25:11hard to get there, but not impossible.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14It will be a roller coaster of a ride for her,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18I just hope she can keep her chin up when things go wrong
0:25:18 > 0:25:21and we all know to definitely enjoy those good times.
0:25:34 > 0:25:35In a few weeks' time,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38those builders will be replaced by gymnasts as this massive
0:25:38 > 0:25:40extension to the Huntingdon Gymnastics Club
0:25:40 > 0:25:42opens its doors to those young gymnasts,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46all hoping to emulate the future stars of this club and it's
0:25:46 > 0:25:49come into fruition thanks in part to the dedication of its members.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Well, Louis has been quite the catalyst for the new gym,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57it's been very difficult to raise the money, but we now have a new building.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59It's much smaller, the dream isn't quite as big,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01but it's certainly going to serve a purpose
0:26:01 > 0:26:03and everybody's been fundraising in earnest.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Louis has raised ?50,000 on The Cube,
0:26:05 > 0:26:06we've had a lot of local interest,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09UK Sport, British Gymnastics have all been involved
0:26:09 > 0:26:11and right down to someone like Harry O'Driscoll,
0:26:11 > 0:26:16one of our elite junior gymnasts, just 11 or 12 years old, spent a
0:26:16 > 0:26:20year last year in a tent and raised ?10,000 towards the new building.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22He slept in a tent every night for a year? He did.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25And what amazes me, what impresses me is that it was under his own initiative,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28he said to his mum, "I'm going to leave my bed, I'm going to go into my garden
0:26:28 > 0:26:31"and sleep in a tent for a year to raise money for the new gym."
0:26:31 > 0:26:34We've had some cold winters in the last few years. Absolutely.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37So you did it every night? Every night. Christmas night?
0:26:37 > 0:26:38Christmas night.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Your birthday? My birthday. On your own? Uh-huh.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44If I was ill, my dad might come out or
0:26:44 > 0:26:48I might have some friends around or something.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Let's hope Harry's dedication to raising funds
0:26:50 > 0:26:54for his gymnastic club will give other youngters
0:26:54 > 0:26:57the chance to follow in Louis's footsteps.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Behind every champion, there's always a great support team.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03They pick you up when you're low and keep you grounded
0:27:03 > 0:27:05when you're flying high.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Mum, Elaine and coach Paul Hall have been there every
0:27:08 > 0:27:10step of the way for Louis Smith.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Mary King is gently guiding her daughter, Emily.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20And Lizzie Armitstead is now providing that support for her
0:27:20 > 0:27:23team-mates as she relishes her role as leader.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27The people who provide the belief
0:27:27 > 0:27:31and encouragement are the inspiration behind our champions.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36And back of your head on the floor. There we go, that's much better.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38If you'd like to get involved in sport,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42then visit our website to find out the nearest club to you.