Adams back up off the canvas in bid to land knockout punch at Olympics

It’s the biggest sporting event, to be a part of that and to have it be in England, representing Yorkshire as well, is just amazing.

The whole build-up to London has been so exciting and I can’t believe it’s almost here. Sometimes it’s almost too exciting and my mind starts to wander, thinking about what it’s going to be like. But I’ve got to get down to the business of training hard and focusing on the European Championships in Holland in October, because that’s when I should be able to qualify for 2012.

Hopefully a gold in Holland will stand me in good stead for the Olympics. I can see why people expect a lot of me because of the two world silver medals I achieved in 2008 and 2010. Plus, I’ve since beaten the two girls who beat me for the gold medals, so everything is going well.

It’s all a far cry from 2009 when I was sidelined for a whole year with a back injury. It was a hard time because that’s when women’s boxing got the Olympic nod and the first round of selections went ahead without me. I was basically in bed and couldn’t move and really panicking that I would miss out.

It was so frustrating seeing something I’d worked so hard for taking place without me. I would never have quit, but there were times when I worried about whether I would get back to how I was before. The team put their faith in me by selecting me for the squad and that kept me going through the bad times. When I came back and won my silver medal in Barbados (2010) I knew I was back to my best.

If you’d have said to me I would reach the final of the worlds after a year out, I’d have said you were having a joke.

I’m so determined and so focussed that it got me through. I’ve still got that drive and I want to put Yorkshire on the map by winning a medal.

It’s great to be part of a full-time squad in Sheffield. It’s hard to believe it wasn’t long ago that I was doing everything on my own.

This for me is about making the most of it. There might not be another Olympics in our country in our lifetime, and I can’t imagine what an amazing and exciting experience it is going to be.

Beijing was frustrating because boxing wasn’t an Olympic sport. Now it is, and it is our time to shine.