Much has been said about the wisdom and validity of placing the Olympic Games with China. However I believe it has shone a spotlight on the country and it's various issues in a way that nothing else could. Global awareness has been created and pressure brought to bear on a country that was previously very secretive and closeted. And that can only be a good thing. On the sporting front it should be a breathtaking spectacle as always. Inevitably the focus for medals is on track and field and there may not be rich pickings there this time, but looking across the board Team GB could do very well - cycling, sailing, badminton, shooting, boxing, equestrian, archery...the list goes on.

I will be spending much of my time around the pool of course and am looking forward to seeing our men and women in action. We have a strong, solid and talented team many of whom put in impressive performances in the recent World Short Course Championships in Manchester. However that was an entirely different format and proposition to the Olympics. We shouldn't burden them with too high expectations but I really believe we have a good number of individuals who will do themselves justice. The immediate future of GB swimming looks healthy with talented youngsters coming through, supportive 'old hands' and an exciting new coaching set-up. And what about my old friend Mark Foster. At 38 years old he is swimming in his 5th Olympics - amazing! Only an American can top that with Dara Torres coming back into the pool at the ripe old age of 41 - you see, swimming doesn’t just have to be about youngsters!

Of course a lot of media attention has fallen on Tom Daly who has reached the Olympics at just 14! Having done the same thing myself as a 13-year-old I know a bit about this. Tom is a terrific lad and a wonderful talent and he should really be left alone to soak up and enjoy the whole magical experience. Just being there is a phenomenal achievement. Whatever happens this time will only serve to benefit him in future competition. Remember - he'll still be a young man in 2012!

I shall let you know how it all went in these pages when I return.

Using teams has created a whole new dynamic and has also allowed for characters and personalities to come through and develop and the series progresses. This is something the production team was very keen to achieve. Though the faces and names are familiar you might not have been so aware of the real personalities before. It was great fun to work on and the competitors were terrific. I had met a number of them before and it was a pleasure to make some new acquaintances. There were a number of jokers in the pack but for me boxer Jane Couch was an absolute star and kept competitors and crew entertained throughout. I must also make special mention of my co-presenter Jim Rosenthal. He is one of our great sports broadcasting professionals and an ultimate pro. He is a joy to work with and a great man to learn from.

I can't give anything away but I will say that the entire series builds to the most amazing finale!

Elsewhere I've filmed a recently shown item for The Gadget Show in which I tried out some heart rate monitors and gave my thumbs up to the Adidas phone heart rate monitor music playing sat nav egg boiling mountain rescuing tele-porting machine!! Another piece for TV will soon be shown on The Inside Out Show which was all about our local pools being closed by local authorities. It is a little known fact, but unlike libraries and social services, local councils have no mandate from government to provide leisure facilities such as swimming pools! I feel it is important that we invest in the health of the nation, build more facilities to keep us fit in so we don’t need to build so many hospitals to fix us in...hopefully !

I've attended a Graduation Ceremony in Hull which required a speech to all the assembled graduates and families before shaking over 1,000 hands and handing out the certificates!

It has also been fun helping Hewlett Packard with their Treasure Hunt initiative which is designed to get families together outside, having fun during the summer months. Visit their website to download and make your very own treasure hunt maps to enjoy with your family - http://h40055.www4.hp.com/summer/?jumpid=ex_r861_1-mrmid_ie_en_hho_ipg/mu//summer

Any trip to the House of Commons is fascinating and being involved in an IVF cause made it doubly so. My youngest Finlay was an IVF baby so I try to help, take part and speak up wherever I can on this subject.

My association with Bernard Matthews continues and whilst this has been misunderstood and misrepresented in much of the press, it is based on healthier eating. Turkey is a fantastic source of protein and has the lowest levels of fat of any meat. It is also great value for money, very important in this day and age of rising prices. It’s a super food that athletes use a lot and we as a family eat plenty of. And I am proud of my association with this old, British company that supplies many jobs. Like a lot of brand leaders they are the first and easiest to criticize. Check out the Bernard Matthews website for lots of great recipes at www.bernardmatthews.com and my own page and series of films on http://www.turkeyfortoday.com/features/sharron/

My Winning4Women presentation team is in place and once I return from China this is something I shall be concentrating more on. For more information please have a look at www.winning4women.com. I’m very excited about this project and passing on all sorts of useful information and tips that I have learnt over the years, with the help of two of my closest friends from sport.