SALLY CONWAY is tired.
Her arms ache and her legs feel heavy as she settles down after a morning honing her judo technique. Discomfort is an almost constant companion for the 24-year-old, the thought of standing on the podium in London next summer with an Olympic medal around her neck the only balm for her suffering.
It proves a remarkable restorative. Within minutes she is revived, chattering excitedly about Beijing, Brazilians and bagpipes and reflecting on the silver medal she won in last weekend's official test event. Suddenly the Olympics don't seem so far away, success at the ExCel Arena having not only propelled the diminutive judoka into contention in the 70kg category, but also helped focus her mind on the next eight months.
The manner in which Conway surged through the competition last weekend can only bolster her belief that she can make a late run at gold. Two early victories settled the nerves before an epic bout against Laura Vargas Koch, Germany's European under-23 champion, was decided with just two seconds remaining. Defeat against Brazil's Maria Portela in sudden-death golden score, the bout having ended in a tie, was disappointing, but has already been dissected and committed to memory lest the pair meet again.
So, too, has the experience of competing at the Olympic venue. "I remember walking in to the arena and being totally taken aback," she says. "It was such a buzz because being there and seeing it how it will be next summer made it seem much more real. It gives you a clear picture in your head of what to expect and heightens the excitement."
Having travelled to Beijing in 2008 as Sarah Clark's training partner and a member of the 2012 Ambition Programme, being part of the multi-disciplined jamboree should not prove entirely alien to Conway. First, though, she has to ensure her place in London. British Judo are permitted to enter one player in each category but will not reveal the names of those athletes until May, meaning an anxious wait for those involved.
But what if they suffer an injury? Their form slumps? Or if the realities of life disturb their dreams? "I can't think like that," insists Conway, who missed four months at the start of the year with a broken wrist. "All I can do is stay above the other girls in my weight category. It's looking good at the moment but anything can happen between now and then so I can't get complacent. But, having been in Beijing, I feel like it's my turn and I want to get a medal . . . as long as it's gold."
Should she fail, it will not be because of a lack of preparation. Having immediately taken to judo after trying it at the age of 10, Conway left school to train full-time at Bisham Abbey before moving to The Edinburgh Club at the age of 17 with team-mate Sarah Adlington to train under the guidance of Loretta Cusack in a cramped church hall in Leith. Seven years on, the success they have achieved is such that the enviable collection of Olympians now train together at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena in Ratho.
Conway spends most of her week there, doing double sessions each weekday and competing at weekends. "It's pretty tough and you don't really have time for a life, but you can occasionally grab a couple of hours between sessions or at the weekends," she says. "It can be difficult, especially when you're tired and sore and it's cold outside but I'm lucky to be able to do it and it's something I want to do; besides, you have to make sacrifices if you want to be successful."
In that sense, the environment created among Edinburgh's judo community helps; nobody can afford to drop their level, such is the standard at which they train. When the people you work with every day are among the international elite, your own expectations increase fuelled by the knowledge that you have to beat a world medallist just to win a training bout. Similarly, seeing your colleagues succeed makes it seem more achievable and also gives the younger members of the club an obvious example to follow.
Conway has been immersed in that culture for seven years now and, consequently, approaches competitions with confidence. A strong showing in the world championships last year posted notice of her potential as she enters the peak period of her career. "Over the next five years I'd hope to be an Olympic, World and European medallist and have won in Glasgow in 2014."
But which country would the Bristolian represent? "Scotland, of course. My mum and dad have given me a bit of stick for that but I've been up her for six or seven years now and get so much support from Judo Scotland and sportscotland and a lot of things wouldn't be possible about them so I just feel that I owe it to them."
Do that, and all the pain and fatigue would finally be worthwhile.
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