Having won silver at the inaugural European Games in Baku, Kat Driscoll is aiming for more success at the Rio Olympics.

The seven-time world medallist, who represented Team GB at London 2012, incurred no penalties on her way to scoring 53.910 in the individual trampoline, finishing behind only Russian champion Yana Pavlova on the podium.

The 29-year-old from Chatham says she ranks her Baku experience high among her list of achievements, but is not about to rest on her laurels.

“If someone would have offered me silver going into the competition, I would have definitely taken it. It was a little bit disappointing as I know I can do better routines than that, but given the circumstances out there.”

“There is more in the locker and I’m keen to get back in the gym, work a bit harder and push for a World medal.”

Like any Olympic athlete, Driscoll is working to a four year plan with Rio in 2016 the main target, and she admits she doesn’t want to peak too soon, but wants to win medals along the way:

“Rio is at the back of everyone’s minds, no matter what they say. For us, Baku was a good mid year test as we have got Olympic qualification for country places at the end of the year.”

“We don’t ever get to compete on podiums other than at the Olympic games, so for us it was a fantastic opportunity to do that before Rio, give it a run through, see where we are at and see where we need to work on.”

Having made herself a household name at the London Olympics in 2012, Driscoll has found the past three years pretty hectic and life changing, but she told Kent Sports News how she is keeping her feet on the ground and not getting too carried away:

“I’m pretty lucky that people know who I am where I live, but they’re still very respectful that I’m training and still doing competitions.”

“I try not to change what I do and keep my head down and go and do a day’s work. That’s what got me to where I am now.”

Kat has got an incredible support network behind her and that’s helped her achieve so much throughout her career, but it’s her Mum and Dad that have been with her every step of the way and she can’t thank them enough:

“My Mum and Dad haven’t missed a major Championships since 1998 and have been with me for every World and European Championships that I have done.”

“They are the biggest supporters I have ever had and ever will have and it was special that I won my medal in Baku on Father’s Day.”

“My Dad was on the floor taking photos, so it was nice to see him, give him a big hug and to see how proud he was.”

“My Mum was sitting up in the stands and it was great that she was there too. It’s something I’ve got used to, but something I will never take for granted, because I know there have been times when it’s not been easy for them to get to some of these places and it’s very expensive to travel around the world.”

“I’m just so grateful that whatever I have done throughout my career, they have been there and supported me. They have never pushed me into anything other than support me in anything I have ever said I wanted to do.”

“My Mum used to drive me eighty miles to training and back when I moved to a different club.”

“My brothers can’t always be there at the Championships, but I know they have been up early watching on TV and supporting me.”

“I’m really, really lucky that I have a very supportive family that love what I do, embrace it and want to be part of it.”

With so many kids having trampolines in their gardens, Driscoll is hoping many fall in love with the sport and want to take it further by joining their local club:

“For me, I love coming back to Jumpers in Gillingham as this is where the dream started. I was a seven or eight year old kid that never really thought that I’d go to the Olympic Games in trampolining.”

“I grew up in a world where a lot of the senior guys didn’t really interact with the juniors and there wasn’t really anyone that gave you instructions or guidance.”

“I therefore have always tried to make the effort to help the junior kids coming through and be approachable that they can come and talk to me if they wanted to.”

“I love trampolining and if there’s anything I can do to help somebody else, I am all for it.”

With the Rio Olympics now just a year away, Driscoll, like a lot of athletes is turning her attention to doing well on the World stage, but admits she has to stay focussed on every challenge along the way:

“We have got a lot of goals to tick off the list before we get there. We don’t have a guaranteed place there yet, so we can’t take our eye off the ball.”

“The World Championships in November are our qualifying event and we’re desperate to get two places this time. We missed out last time on the tiniest of margins and we have to have two girls in the top eight in the world to get the two places.”

“It’s not an easy task and we’re trying to stay focussed on the team getting those two places and once we have got them you then shift your focus straight on to Rio.”

“We do also have the European Championships next year to break it up a little bit, so a bit like London, you need to have one eye on Rio as you need to be prepared.”

Having failed to come away from the London Olympics with a medal, Driscoll is even more determined to come back from Rio with something:

“I am really driven and I was gutted to have come away from London having missed the final by the tiniest of margins.”

“That makes me determined to get in the gym every day and work even harder to not be in that position again.”

“Finishing fourth at the World Championships last year made me realise I’m that close to getting a medal.”

“Once you start winning some medals like I have now on the European stage, that gives you the determination and drive to want that to keep carrying on.”

“If I do all the right things between now and Rio, I know I have a really good chance of winning a medal.”

One question that Kat gets asked a lot is what she is planning on doing after Rio, but it’s one she will have to answer at a later date:

“I’m kind of in the same boat as I was in before London in that I will decide after the Olympics.”

“You don’t know how you are going to feel and depending upon what result you get, that will determine how you feel.”

“I was 50/50 before London as to whether I was going to carry on and I’m glad that I did as I’ve probably had the best few years of my trampolining career.”

“At the same point, I am getting older and the body can’t tolerate the same amount of exercise that it used to.”

“They have upped the intake for the 2020 Olympics up to twenty, so there is always the possibility, but that’s a decision that will have to wait until after Rio.”