FROM small beginnings on the diving boards at Chelmsford’s Riverside Leisure Centre, Becky Gallantree is now hoping to make a big splash at London 2012.

The 27-year-old diver, who was born and brought up in the city, has been selected for the Olympic squad.

She will represent Great Britain in the three metre individual event and three metre synchro competition with partner, Alicia Blagg.

Supported by her friends and family, Becky, who now lives in Leeds, qualified for the Games at the British Gas Diving Championships, in Sheffield.

She said: “It’s very exciting. I went to Beijing in 2008, but this is more special than that being a home Games.

“I want to go and enjoy it and experience the home crowd.”

Although she is delighted to be performing on home soil, Becky is keeping her excitement in check and focusing on her expectations for the competition.

She added: “I would love to make the final in the individual event, which I did at the World Championships in February. “The synchro is a straight forward final so we just want to enjoy that and perform well.”

Becky, who attended Larkrise Primary School, in Great Baddow, and Great Baddow High School, has been involved in the sport for about 20 years and puts in hours of training every week.

She first started diving when she was seven or eight-years-old at Riverside Ice and Leisure, in Victoria Road, but only made it her career in 2006.

Before that she studied sports science at the University of Leeds and had a regular day job, but thanks to National Lottery funding, she can now dive full time.

Becky has recently been on a recovery training camp in Majorca, but when she returns to the UK she will start to step up her training once again and will head to Southend for a pre-training camp ahead of the start of the Games in July.

Carrie Lynch, headteacher at Great Baddow High School, said: “We were delighted to hear about Rebecca’s selection and the whole school will be supporting her avidly.

“Her dedication to an incredibly tough training programme stands out for Jess Ferguson, head of PE, who remembers Rebecca as being a very able, conscientious student.”

* British Gas is getting the nation to show its support for the British swimming teams by giving away free swims.

For more information, visit www.britishgas.co.uk/free swimming