Having experienced competing in two Paralympic Games and commentated on a third, it’s incredible to think such a magnificent event will be right here in London in just three years time.

I’m so glad it’s coming to the UK because I know the support and investment that is going in to it over the next three years will ensure the British public and the athletes taking part will not want to be anywhere but part of London 2012.

 

Hitting a milestone such as three years to go really puts it into perspective that the Paralympics is coming to London and it will be in my manor! I grew up in Stratford, and when I go home I drive past the site and can see the stadium growing all the time. You can already see the structural work coming together and the roof going on the aquatics centre - it’s starting to become very real.

 

As the infrastructure comes together so do the British teams.  They have had some amazing achievements in both Olympic and Paralympic sports. 

 

We’ve had some great athletics results recently.  I watched the World Athletics Championships as I’ve got some really good friends who were competing out there. The British team are looking stronger and stronger each year.  Bringing home six medals and a haul of top eight finishes makes them an exciting prospect for 2012, they can only build on what they’ve achieved.

 

And who can ignore the phenomenon that is Usain Bolt - not only is he an incredible athlete but the joy that he has in his sport is brilliant. He is definitely the best thing that has happened to athletics in a long time, so let’s hope he keeps it up to wow us all right here in London. 

 

I also recently commentated at the BT Paralympic World Cup in Manchester which saw the British Paralympic team return from Beijing with a massive medal haul only to do it all again, sealing their reputation as one of the best teams in the world. 

 

The competition is probably one of the most important events that we have in the Paralympics, aside from the actual Paralympics itself. It gives British athletes the chance to test themselves against the best in the world on home soil every year - an opportunity that other countries will not have had in the lead up to the Games. It gives us a fantastic taste of what’s in store for London 2012. 

 

In the last ten months since Beijing, more and more of the public have become aware of the success British athletes across all sports can offer in 2012 - people want to know more about their local sporting heroes and have the opportunity to watch them every year, get to know them and get right behind them as London approaches. 

 

Whatever anybody says, however many Olympics or Paralympics the athletes may have been through, I don’t think anything is going compare to the reception that they are going to get in East London. 

 

Beijing was a great experience and what made it even better was the backing from the Chinese fans - they were 110 per cent behind their athletes.  I must big up my old team the wheelchair basketball boys for achieving their bronze. They now have a real chance at gold here in London and I know Britain will match that home support from last year in three years time. 

 

It would be amazing to back the whole British team from the commentary box in 2012 - this really is a once in lifetime opportunity to show the world how great London is and how passionate we are about both Paralympic and Olympic sports.