The 27-year-old from Massachusetts was diagnosed with transverse myelitis at four and a half months of age - a disorder that left her paralysed from the waist down.

She began wheelchair racing in 1993 at junior level and has since go on to be one of the world's best T53 athletes, winning two gold medals at the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro before claiming two bronze medals at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics.

Forber-Pratt's success continued at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships in New Zealand this January where she claimed a gold and three silvers, as well as breaking the world record in the T53 women's 200 metres.

She is now targeting more medals at London 2012 and admitted that her recent experience competing in the English capital made the Paralympics next year start to sink in for her.

"It was just exciting to be there," Forber-Pratt said of her London experience.

"There's already so much hype behind the Games.

"To me, it was starting that reality of, 'Oh my gosh, this is coming.'

"Coming off of a gold medal and three silvers at the World Championships and a world record this season, I feel like I'm in a very good place and exactly where I want to be going into the Games."

She has taken some time off this summer to "ocean hop", including a visit to Bonn in Germany for the IPC's VISTA Conference and a trip to Hawaii for a friend's wedding.

Now, back at the University of Illinois, Forber-Pratt is juggling training, working toward her doctorate degree in Human Resource Education and teaching six online classes.

She will not be competing in the Parapan American Games in Guadalajara in November as she is saving all of her energy for the US Paralympic track and field trials next June in Miramar, Florida so that she can secure a spot on the team for the London 2012 Paralympics.

Forber-Pratt added it feels different one year out from London than it did prior to Beijing as she is no longer worried about who she will be facing and rather just focusing on herself.

"There's a balance between knowing who your competitors are and not letting that overwhelm you and distract you," she said.

"With wheelchair racing, you can't worry too much about your competitors.

"I'm there to do my race.

"It's me and that start line and that finish line."

However, Forber-Pratt actually knows some of her opponents very well as she trains with them on a daily basis.

A total of 16 wheelchair racers train with renowned coach Adam Bleakney at the University of Illinois including the likes of Paralympic Games medallists Tatyana McFadden, Jessica Galli and Josh George.

Aside from her fellow Americans, she said her other top competitors in London will be the Australians and the Chinese and she knows they will be much tougher to beat in 2012 than in 2008.

"Their times have gotten faster for sure," Forber-Pratt said.

"That's part of what I love about sport in general.

"Faster, higher, stronger - that's kind of just how things evolve."

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