Earlier this year, I had the privilege of opening the first Our Sporting Life exhibition at the River & Rowing Museum in Henley on Thames. The exhibition is an Inspire mark project and the first of over 100 exhibitions to open across the country celebrating British sporting heritage, from different communities and sports.

The exhibition was created with the help of local people and sports organisations from Henley who put forward objects and memorabilia to help tell the story of their sporting life. It was my first time being involved in a project like this and I think the idea of bringing a whole town together under the common element of sport is brilliant.

Sport stirs passion, emotion and excitement in everyone – no matter what your role; athlete, spectator, marshal, organiser. I love being an athlete. I also like sharing my success with others. Our Sporting Life does exactly this on a larger scale.

I was so excited to be asked to contribute to the exhibition, because people in my area who I have never met are able to find out about what I am doing. I went to college in Henley where I was involved in sports and met lots of friends – and it was through one of my friends that I heard about Our Sporting Life and wanted to contribute.

The exhibition gives everyone the chance to see what a rich diversity of sporting wealth we have here in Henley. Henley is famously linked with rowing, but the exhibition shows a huge passion for a wide range of sports and the increasing popularity, awareness and participation in disability sports. I was really impressed to see all of these together and it has made me want to do more sports.

It is great to think that, when I am giving everything to do my personal best, that I have the support of my local community. I would like to think that when people see my name they will be backing me in my latest competition. London 2012 is the aim of all athletes in Britain. It’s one thing to get to the biggest honour in your sport, but how amazing would it be to compete in front of your home crowd? I would love to defend my title in 2012 because I know that with my family, friends and community behind me I will be even better than I have in the past.