Giles Long dreamt of Olympic success as a swimmer. He was good, even as a youngster, but at 13 developed a bone tumour and assumed that the dream was over. Treatment included a metal replacement for the bone in his upper arm. His shoulder was immobile so when he swam he could use only his left arm.

But seven years later he was a world champion, winning gold in the 100m butterfly at the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta. He won gold again in Sydney four years later and bronze in Athens in 2004. “You have got to want to do it,” he says. “I get up at 4.30am to go swimming, and you can’t do that if there is not a deep-down enjoyment.”

Jonathan Edwards, the Olympic triple-jumper and world record-holder, agrees. But, he says, aspiring athletes require motivation above all else. “You need that sense of inspiration. If you don’t have that you are never going to have the commitment to get through the difficult times.”

Both he and Long had supportive families. “If my dad hadn’t pushed me I wouldn’t have made it,” Edwards says. But pick your parents with care — there’s a fine line between support and bullying. “So many parents get it into their minds that their kid is going to the Olympics that they wring all enjoyment out of it,” Long says.

For older athletes, a supportive boss helps. Edwards was 21 before he knew he could be world class. “My first employer gave me all the unpaid leave I needed.”

But while time off helps, funding helps more and, in the past, the lack of it has thwarted Olympic ambitions. With sights set on London 2012, however, even the prudent Chancellor is getting excited. Gordon Brown pledged £300 million to budding Olympians in the last Budget and the money will benefit sports from archery to wrestling.

Matt Crawcour, the head of communications for UK Sport, advises those who want a share of the cash to choose a club affiliated to their sport’s governing body because all the money is channelled through them. Any other advice? “Train, and then train harder.”

Many of those who will represent Britain in 2012 are still at school, but the UK School Games will give them a foretaste. Starting in Glasgow in September, then scheduled for a different city each year, the games will showcase the best school-age performers, says Steve Grainger, of the Youth Sport Trust.

Richard Simmons, an Olympic performance manager for the British Olympic Association, also emphasises the importance of good coaches — and different ones for different stages of an athlete’s career.

So how does it feel to claim gold? “It’s very difficult to describe,” Long says. “I just felt incredibly calm and warm and content.”

And the salary? Nil. You’re not in it for the money. Count yourself lucky if you get free spikes. Global fame and mega sponsorship deals? Only for the very best.

Explore Career

• Graduate

• Senior Executive

• Recruiter Forum

• Top 50 Women

• Best 100 Companies

• Careers in

Times Recommends

• Inspirational leadership
• How to get a new job
• The reluctant CEO