Buoyed on by a dream of making it to the Olympics, Kent trampolinist Kat Driscoll is hoping to jump to success.

The 26 year old from Chatham now lives in Durham with her husband, former British trampolinist Gary Short, but began her trampolining career at the Jumpers Rebound Centre in Gillingham, what is now part of Medway Park.

Having recently returned from winning silver in the synchronised event at the European trampolining championship in St Petersburg, Driscoll is hoping her success with Amanda Parker will lead to her qualifying individually for the 2012 Olympics in London:

“I’m pleased with the team result and I had the highest score out of the girls in the final by quite a long way and the score I scored is pretty competitive with what has been going on in the world.”

“It was important to show that I had that score in me. I didn’t have a great individual performance, in that I finished as the third Brit, but I was in the top eight and that would have been good enough for a place in the final, but only two per country can make a final.”

“I was a little bit disappointed not to make the final over there, but then we came back in the synchro and got a silver, so that was a good achievement.”

“We also got third in World Championships and we beat the world champions at the Europeans, so that was a big thing for us.”

Despite still awaiting confirmation of a place in the Olympics squad individually, Driscoll is hoping to use recent experiences to drive her on:

“I’m all about adrenalin and have always been about pressure. When the pressure’s been off, I’ve never competed as well, so now the pressure is back on, whatever happens at the next trial is make or break as we only have that one trial left.”

“Everyone has said that should play more into my hands, so I’ve got to get back into the gym and work hard.”

“I’ve got to treat it as if it were any other trial and try and make it count.”

With less than one hundred days to go now until the Olympics, Driscoll told KSN how it is all starting to seem that little bit more real now:

“Going from one hundred to ninety nine days to go was a big moment as you realise it’s getting ever closer. Two numbers seem so much scarier than three, but it’s quite exciting at the same time.”

“It’s all starting to go so quick now and I just wish it would all slow down a little bit now.”

Inevitably, the Olympics will raise the profile of British Gymnastics and Driscoll is hoping the coverage on TV will give the much needed exposure to her sport and encourage the next generation of trampolinists to venture to their local centres and take part:

“What’s been good about what’s been happening in Great Britain is that we’ve got a really successful women’s team, we are second in the World and first in Europe, so the media are starting to be interested in what we are doing.”

“A lot of people have been keen to know about the less known sports in the Olympics and we’ve had a lot of people keen to be involved and find out more about trampolining.”

“The numbers getting involved has been growing and we’re always being asked where they can go to clubs to have a go.”

“Before we even get to the Olympics, there has been a massive improvement on participation and hopefully if we have a good showing at the Olympics that will help as well.”

Away from life on a trampoline, Driscoll enjoys nothing more than catching up with the family, watching Newcastle United play or sitting in front of the Formula One, but it’s been her family that have been her inspiration as her mum helps with the scoring at events, whilst her dad takes the photographs:

“I’m a Kent girl at heart and I love coming back to the county as this is where my whole trampolining career started. It’s nice to be back to the home of where my new life started and I’ve got a big poster at the end of the gym which is nice.”

“That’s the event where I qualified for our Olympic place, so whenever I’m back in Kent, it’s more memorable to why I started and I why I love this sport.”

“It’s nice to catch up with my former coach (Martin Laws) and you can’t beat being back at home seeing all the family!”

For more information on getting into trampolining, visit www.trampoline.co.uk