Tom Daley - Guest Star

I thought my life wouldn’t get any crazier after I competed at the Beijing Olympics, but I was wrong. Winning the world title in the 10 metres platform competition at the world diving championships has resulted in all kinds of amazing experiences, few of which I’m ever likely to forget.

Before Beijing I was lucky enough to win the BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year. After the Olympics I got to meet the Queen and have breakfast at Number 10 Downing Street, as well as introduce George Sampson, the “Britain’s Got Talent” winner on stage at the Royal Variety Performance, and present the BAFTA TV award for sports coverage.

But after becoming world champion at 15 years old it’s taken on an even bigger dimension, capped by an open-top bus parade through the streets of my home city, Plymouth. I was concerned that nobody would turn up but it was sunny day and thousands of people made the effort which was really nice to see.

Other highlights include a photo shoot with George Sampson, getting to know top photographer David Bailey and winning the Sports Hero of the Year award at the BBC Switch awards. It was a little surreal to have hundreds of girls screaming as I went up on stage which was a first for me. I also managed to win the BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year award again which, so I’m told, makes me the first person to have won it twice. I’m very happy and honoured to have received the trophy on two occasions. I was also really excited to be named in the short-list of ten for the main award alongside some true greats of British sport. Ryan Giggs, the eventual winner, sat behind me during the ceremony, and I got to talk to Jenson Button, who struck me as a really nice bloke. The BBC’s Blue Peter team also came down to my home in Plymouth to present me with a coveted gold badge and that, believe me, is up there with the world championships diving gold medal.

Recently I’ve filmed a sketch with James Corden for Sport Relief l. I’m a huge fan of “Gavin and Stacey” and I can tell you that James is just as funny in real life as he is on TV. Everything’s a joke with James,! I came across him again when I appeared on Sky 1’s new sports quiz, “A League of Their Own,” which will be aired very soon. I can’t say too much about it except that I was on Jamie Redknapp’s team taking on Freddie Flintoff’s team with James in charge. It was great fun and I’m sure you’ll enjoy the show.

My other highlight outside of the pool was not only getting to meet and be in a photo shoot with Kate Moss, but actually take pictures of her for my photography GCSE.�
2010 is the year of GCSE’s for me, although I’ve managed to obtain three A*’s early to ease the pressure. The problem is squeezing in the work and the exam-taking in between competitions. To give you an idea I’m going to the Laureus Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi where I’m up for the Breakthrough of the Year award, then it’s off to compete in China, Mexico, Sheffield, and Canada. I’ll be taking two Spanish exams and my English Literature whilst in China. This means having to go to a Chinese school to sit them, and at the same time as they are taken in England. This means, with the time difference, it could be 9 or 10pm, but it stops someone back home in Plymouth telling me what the questions were before I’ve taken the exams. I’m hoping to study Maths, Psychology, Spanish and Photography at “A” Level, so I’ve just got to ensure that I obtain as high a mark as I can in each of my remaining GCSE’s.

Mind you, that’s not to say my diving’s going to take a back seat. Far from it. I’m introducing two new dives to my repertoire – a back two and half somersault, two and half twist, which I’ve already produced, and an arm stand, back, triple somersault, pike. My age and body had prevented me from taking on the really difficult and highest-marking dives until now, although it didn’t stop me becoming world champion. I’m so excited because if I can perfect the new dives it can hopefully result in better marks. It’s going to take a little time, though, to get it right. It’s like kicking the ball with the other foot.�

It was so strange winning that world title. Nobody expected it, including me. All my main competitors train twice a day whilst I, because of my school commitments, can only train once, and all the others could attempt more challenging dives which offer higher marks. I had to go safe, got the points in the bag, then watched as everyone else failed to hit the mark with their harder dives. I guess it will be just as hard now to keep the standard up, which is a new challenge in itself and one I’ll have to deal with at, among other competitions, the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October. I can’t wait for that. I actually qualified for the 2006 Games in Melbourne but was told I was too young, so these will be my first Commonwealths.

All in all 2010 promises to be another big year for me. If I can finish it with the exam results I’m aiming for, and more success at the Commonwealths and elsewhere, then I’ll be happy. After that all eyes will focus on the 2012 London Olympics. I’ll be taking my “A” Levels either well before or afterwards, to ensure that I can devote all my time to the London Games. People think it’s my big chance but I’ll only be 18 and, by my reckoning, will have another three Olympics in me after London, which would make it five in total.�
If I can achieve that I might just get another Blue Peter badge!