It's 4am and I'm sat on my couch waiting to watch the Union Jack be raised, and God Save the Queen to be played, in honour or Rebecca Adlington's simply outstanding swim in the 800m freestyle.

The Olympic Games have always been in my heart: as a 7-year-old the 1984 Games captured my imagination, then as a budding athlete they were my sole focus. Now as 31-year-old lawyer at the London 2012 Organising Committee I'm just happy to be playing a small part in an event which can entertain and inspire like no other.

Rebecca's success in Beijing has been special for me...I don't know her personally but used to swim for Nova Centurion, her club, and swam under her coach, Bill Furniss. Rebecca has far surpassed my aspirations and I'm overwhelmed by what she's achieved – I hope the public appreciate the significance of breaking Janet Evan's 19-year-old world record and of becoming double Olympic champion. Above all though, I'm delighted for my coach, Bill, and I write this blog to credit Bill and to highlight the contributions of all the people it takes to put on a Games and create an Olympic champion.

I was in Beijing for a week before the Games to learn about what my role in 'Games-time' mode will involve. I learnt an immense amount but won't elaborate too much as the job of a brand protection lawyer is not the most glamorous. What really struck home though is that, like coaching an Olympic champion, preparation and team work are crucial to organising the Games. The Games are the culmination of at least 10 years of hard work by the organisers and the seamless entertainment seen on TV belies the behind-the-scenes efforts of the thousands of people – from chief executives to volunteers – who contribute.

Watching Rebecca swim an apparent solo effort also belies all the people and years of hard work behind her success.

In the same way that Rebecca's swim looked almost effortless, and will have inspired and put a smile on the faces of millions of viewers around the world, I hope that we can put on a Games which will achieve the same. And even if all the people behind the organisation of the Games get very little recognition, if in 2012 we create an environment in which athletes can produce these magical moments without worrying about their food, sleep or transport arrangements, we will have done our job.

In fact, the less we as organisers are in the spotlight, the more likely this is to mean that we've achieved this goal. The Beijing 2008 organisers have done a remarkable job. We have learnt a lot from them and they've set the bar high, but on the basis of the team we've put in place and the 'training' already under our belt, I believe London 2012 is also well on our way to delivering.