Brock Whiston returns to competitive action in the pool after a short summer break this weekend to start out on the road to Paris 2024.
The 25-year-old is set to race at an event in Hertfordshire, having enjoyed success at the British and English Summer National Championships in Sheffield earlier this summer.
And the four-time world champion is looking to share her journey to the next Paralympic Games with local people and businesses over the next two years.
"British Swimming will give advice and the numbers of people in an area to go to. At competitions you might get a masseuse but not every event," she said.
"Even the smallest thing, if a yoga teacher said I could join a class for free, it sounds little but it all helps.
"A new training suit every few months, little things like that can make a big contribution.
"I can help small businesses with some exposure. Paul at Hawkins & Sons Butchers has been so good. I go and see him when I win medals and the staff are lovely, they watch my races."
Whiston started swimming at the age of three and began racing aged nine while a pupil at Crownfield Junior School.
She went on to attend Bower Park Academy and represent Havering in the London Youth Games and is a member of Barking & Dagenham Aquatic Club, doing most of her training at Becontree Leisure Centre.
Whiston's normal routine includes 530-730am sessions in the Becontree pool each weekday morning (covering around 6000m), breakfast in the car and straight to work at Eastbury Primary School as a teaching assistant.
"[Coach] Stewart [Nicklin] gives me session notes and takes me through them and mum is usually on the side of the pool with a stopwatch," she added.
Then it's an hour in the gym on Monday and Friday evenings, an hour of strength & conditioning work on Wednesdays and rest on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Plus another two hours in the 50m pool at the London Aquatic Centre with Nicklin on Saturday mornings, with another 90 minutes on Sundays once or twice a month as well.
"I enjoy working with children. I'm a level three BSL [British Sign Language] communicator as well," she said.
"I want to increase disability sport in Barking & Dagenham and get under-eights included in the Progress Project, which works with eight to 25-year-olds.
"It's been nice to rest a bit during the school holidays. I have to get some time off for competitions, but it was tricky during Covid and a lot of staff being off."
Having won four gold medals - and set three world records - at the 2019 World Championships in London, Whiston had hoped to compete in the delayed Tokyo Paralympic Games.
But she missed out on that and this year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, in frustrating circumstances.
"They couldn't decide my classification for Tokyo so I couldn't go," she said.
"I got classified before the Commonwealths but Swim England couldn't enter me because it was all sorted too late. We needed more paperwork."
Whiston suffers with Hemiplegia - a weakness on one entire side of the body which can cause complete paralysis in the most severe cases - and is now classified in the S9, SB9 and SM9 categories.
"It affects my left side mainly, my shoulder will dislocate, but when I'm fatigued even my right hand is affected and I can't hold my drink," she added.
"I've had it all my life but it has got worse as I've got older. I can't get out of the pool after a race if I'm too fatigued and my coach will have to lift me out. It won't get better at any stage."
Away from the water, Whiston admits to enjoying bike rides, but again she needs help.
"I like riding my bike. I've got a special strap for my left hand and foot and someone has to hold the bike to get me going," she said.
"It's fun, I like riding and go out on the roads with my boyfriend Perry. We've been together three years, he is sporty too and likes running.
"He will take me to training and if my shoulder dislocates he will help me. I always need someone there, ready to help me put it back. It happens every day, on any stroke."
The short-term focus is on the Winter Nationals in December, with World Series events also taking place at different times each year.
And then it's the 2023 World Championships in Manchester, before a qualifying event a few months prior to the big one in Paris.
And Whiston would dearly love to be on the starting blocks in 2024 when she will be approaching her 28th birthday.
"Now I'm in a different class, the two relays have been scrapped from the programme and my world records in those will always stand," she added.
"There are now mixed relays. It's nice, it works for some but not all.
"I want to try the 100m breaststroke and 200m medley again and I'm enjoying the 100m butterfly. It's always a good thing to have a fun event.
"If I made any others it would be the 400m freestyle. Paris is my favourite city. One I've got to get to."
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