At the tender age of 17, Simmonds was perhaps viewed as primarily a 2012 hopeful but after a blistering couple of years there is now serious talk about a possible medal in Beijing.

Last March the fact that she was one of the few British swimmers to make a final at the World Championships in Melbourne was not the only factor which set her apart from the rest of her teammates, she was also studying for a her GCSEs.

Seven A*s later and Simmonds has had to put her A-levels on hold due to the vast lengths of time she spends away on training camps and at competitions.

"School were, and are, very supportive. I had a chat with my teachers before I went anywhere, for example at the World Championships last year, and they'd sort out coursework for me to take," said the Lincoln Minster student.

"But when we went to the Gold Coast for a preparation camp this winter I spent most of my time doing my maths statistics coursework and thinking about how Stevenson creates suspense in Jekyll and Hyde!

"So I've decided to put it on hold until after Beijing and I'll probably go back in September."

With the World Championships having been held in Manchester this month, Simmonds has been part of a GB team who have crafted their own air of suspense after a wave of outstanding performances has understandably increased the pressure on their trip to Beijing.

Simmonds won silver in the 200m backstroke, breaking the previous world record in the process, and the Lincoln Vulcans swimmer was also part of the quartet who won gold at the European Championships in the medley relay.

"Manchester was brilliant and I was very proud of the way British swimming put a show on to the rest of the world. At the M.E.N arena the best part was the way they used special effects with the sliding door as well, it was like a fashion show!

"It's the first experience I've had of competing in front of a home crowd and it excites me even more now thinking about 2012.

"My school friends are brilliant and very supportive. They didn't get to go to Manchester but a majority saw it on tele and so I had loads of people texting me saying that they saw me being interviewed.

"I think it's brilliant being away with the GB team and I am really looking forward to that in the summer. I know the swimming is on early in the Olympics so hopefully we will be able to watch some of the other sports too."

Simmonds was not born with gills, she was introduced to the sport by a school friend at the same age most children had just learnt to write their name. And 12 years later she is about to encounter not only her first, but the mother of all multi-events, the Olympics.

"I always knew how to swim but I started properly when I was about five, I went with another school friend to learn to swim and it progressed from there.

"At school I also did netball and a bit of athletics but by the time I was getting into my swimming I was finding that I was getting more injuries.

"On land I am not that fantastic and my joints can't really cope with the pressure so I basically had to decide that the other sports had to be put on hold.

"It's great that people my age will get to experience something on the scale of the UK School Games as I'm sure it helps with the process of learning.

"You don't get to the top unless you work hard and have fun - there's no point doing it without having fun. Things like the Olympics only happen once in a lifetime. Just believe in yourself and keep working hard."