Rebecca Adlington knows all too well the level of nerves and anticipation that the athletes are feeling as the Paris 2024 Olympics officially begin.
On Friday, the Olympic Games kicked off with a triumphant opening ceremony in the French capital marking the start of two whole weeks of nail-biting sporting action unfolding between the world's most impressive and decorated competitors.
As the exciting event takes place, the two-time gold medal winner, 35, will be HELLO!'s Olympic Games Columnist bringing readers all the action and highlights.
© Rebecca Adlington/HELLO!Rebecca, who has won four Olympic medals in total, will be a BBC pundit at the swimming events and has a jam-packed schedule for when she's in the French capital.
In her first column, the retired athlete tells us all about how she prepared for the big event, how her family including her husband Andy Parsons and her two children, Summer, nine, and Albie, three, are navigating the busy period, and whether she misses getting involved in the action herself.
Read on for Rebecca Adlington's column this week after she touched down in Paris…
Poolside prep
Preparations have been crazy! It sounds so diva-like compared to all the athletes who are training hard, thinking 'Let's sort my outfits!' but I wasn't sure what I needed, so I've been trying to get organised.
On the flip side, you've got to digest all the information that's out there. You've got social media, podcasts to listen to, videos etc. There is so much content it's just not possible to soak it all up. But I've got a good understanding and I follow a lot of these athletes naturally already so I'm happy.
I'm working the finals and I'm so, so happy we're poolside this year, I can't tell you the difference it makes.
We soak up all the atmosphere, nothing is enclosed. We're fully exposed to the drama and the rawness, and it adds a really different dynamic. Your arms are covered in goosebumps because you just feel it.
You also get to speak to people. We've had Sir Steve Redgrave, parents of the athletes, it's just brilliant being able to grab people and speak to them whereas in a studio you don't get that.
The finals don't start till half past eight here and after we've travelled over to the pool, most days will start at five or six o'clock. Me and Mark [Foster] are alternating morning sessions, which means we'll get every other day to have the morning off. It'd be nice to see some of Paris! I haven't been to Paris in around 14 or 15 years, so it's been a long time since I've been here properly.
© Rebecca Adlington/HELLO!Tearful goodbyes
Andy and Albie are only here for five days, so I'm hoping to spend a bit of time with them.
I gave my daughter the option to come, but I don't think she truly understood what the Olympics are like. I don't think I really knew at that age either. I gave her the option to go to Spain with her relative and her cousin who is the same age, which will be so much fun. And of course, she chose Spain with her cousin and a pool!
© Rebecca Adlington/HELLO!I think she would have loved being here, but we've done the best thing. With Albie, it's different because Andy's parents live in France, so Andy and Albie are here for five days then they're going and getting the train to see them.
It's worked out well, but me and Summer cried our eyes out leaving each other. It was really, really difficult. We'll FaceTime, but two weeks is too long in my eyes!
© Rebecca Adlington/HELLO!Following in mummy's footsteps
Summer is part of a swimming club, and she's got really into football recently. She's so active, she never stops running, swimming or jumping. Whether she would want to go into that full competitive environment, I don't know, but she absolutely loves it.
Albie is competitive. He is such a sore loser and a nightmare if he doesn't win. He's so competitive that I can't imagine him not doing something in sport, to be honest, but it does make me worry, I don't want him to grow up being such a terrible loser! And you don't win everything in sport.
But he's obsessed with everything from cycling, and football to swimming, so I definitely think he'll go down a sport route.
© Rebecca Adlington/HELLO!The Games
I cannot say I'm an expert in any of the sports other than swimming, but I just love [watching] gymnastics. I find it insane, the strength and power. You can't help but watch and be in awe of what they do.
I also love the track cycling. Anything in the velodrome my husband loves. And I've ended up naturally loving it because he loves it.
I actually don't miss competing at all. I think in Rio de Janeiro, with it being my first one [not competing] I felt like, 'Oh, this is different' because it was still so soon after I retired that I still knew most of the team and it was strange that I wasn't there.
© Rebecca Adlington/HELLO!Whereas since then, like with Tokyo and Paris, I'm so far from that. It's nice that I can look back on it with fond memories, but I am so glad I'm not in that position anymore. I don't envy them at all.
I remember that moment in Beijing [winning two gold medals] but I also remember the nerves. That was the biggest thing that hit me. I was just a bag of butterflies and knots for a month leading up to it.
I hated getting that nervous, I just permanently felt on edge. But, of course, you remember the joy and the happiness, and also the relief.
MORE: Princess Charlene and Queen Mary lead the glamorous royals at 2024 Olympics gala
MORE: Princess Kate, Prince William and Prince Harry's emotional reactions to Zara Tindall's Olympic win
When Beijing happened, all that hard work had paid off and I was quite surprised at how much relief there was. It can make it hard to celebrate.
I used to think 'Why aren't [the athletes] celebrating?' And now I fully understand that it's because your arms feel like they're going to fall off! But it is an amazing feeling.
© Shaun BotterillToday's Team GB
The team are in such a good place. Adam Peaty has a lot of expectations and pressure on his shoulders because of what he's trying to achieve.
And when you're trying to do anything that somebody like Michael Phelps has done, it's a hard task. But I can't ever imagine Adam not getting a medal. I have that much belief in him because he is just incredible. I don't say that as a pressure element to Adam, I say that because he is such a phenomenal athlete.
But other guys are great, too. There's Matt Richards, who has done incredibly well over the past three years, but I still don’t think we've seen his peak yet, and that's what's really exciting.
My main bit of advice is: don't let the occasion get the better of you. Don't think about the millions watching. Just remember why you're there. You're you've done this every day. You're putting on your hat and goggles and you’re just going for a swim.
It's just another day of doing that same thing. Keep it simple, enjoy the experience. Don't let it get the better of you.
