Potential stars of the Rio 2016 Paralympics have arrived in Bath today to gain an invaluable insight into life at a multi-sports event.
Around 100 athletes from ten sports will spend the weekend at ParalympicsGB's first Potentials Camp since London 2012, being staged at the University of Bath.
None of those attending have previously competed at a Games and, in many cases, it is their first chance to spend time with athletes and staff from other sports.
They will also get to hear from people who have been to the camps in the past and gone on to win medals at the Paralympics.
Among the inspirational speakers is Sophie Wells, who won para-equestrian team gold and two individual silvers in London.
"I came to my first camp four years ago, since when I've been to London and won three medals, so it's quite surreal coming back," said the 23-year-old.
"The camps were a massive insight into what it could be like at a Paralympics because it is so different, especially when you are in such an individual sport as equestrian.
"It is always separate to the other sports, so it was very useful to come to these kind of things in preparation for London and get used to being in a big team and that kind of support structure.
"It was an insight but also an inspiration because you got to meet athletes who had been there and done it, you get the motivation that it might be possible to get there.
"My message will be to enjoy it, be passionate about the sport you are doing and go for it because anything is possible if you put your heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears into it. It was once a dream for me that became a reality."
Also passing on words of advice today is Ben Quilter, who retired from judo last month having won bronze in London.
"It is a great opportunity for people to come along, learn lots of new things and take it into their future career," said Quilter, who has an input into the camps' organisation in his role with the Paralympic Athlete Commission.
"I remember doing a 500 days to go video for London and the Games seemed like forever away. Now Rio is less than 1,000 days away.
"They come around so fast, so anything these guys can pick up now to help them is going to be invaluable."
Attending his first camp is table tennis player Jack Hunter-Spivey, who is making good progress towards Rio after rising from 35th to 17th in the world in 2013.
It is not the 18-year-old's first taste of a multi-sport environment, though, as he was part of the Paralympic Inspiration Programme at London 2012.
"I got to visit the pre-Games holding camp here in Bath and go to the Athletes' Village in London," said Hunter-Spivey, who was an Olympic torchbearer.
"We've just been talking about the wow factor at a Paralympics and there was definitely a wow factor in London. Just walking into the food court – it was massive, there were so many people.
"I started playing table tennis because I found out that London had won the bid for 2012 and I wanted to be there.
"I started at youth clubs and loved it, got the table tennis bug, so to actually be part of the Inspiration Programme at London 2012 and be there to watch my team-mates compete and win medals was amazing.
"Events like these camps help massively as well. You're not going to be scared when you go to Rio, you're not going to be scared when you see the massive groups of people at multi-sport events, you get to meet your team-mates from other sports so it isn't a strange environment."
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