In recent years we've operated, and are currently operating, integrated training camps alongside the Olympic programme in Italy, South Africa and the United States.

I've just returned from the South Africa camp and it's been great to see the guys get down to some really hard work in a distraction free and well-focused environment. Next stop for me is Australia, where our wheelchair athletes are training and competing on a world-class racing circuit.

In my opinion, the most significant change since I started working with UK Athletics in January 2009 is the overall improved level of integration. This is evidenced, in part, through the training camps, which we have thanks to the invaluable support of UKA chief executive Niels de Vos and chairman Ed Warner who have bought into the concept completely.

Also, the quality of coaching, camps, services and the support we receive has massively improved.

In fact, a recent survey conducted by UK Sport with our Paralympic athletes, found that 88 per cent agreed that the World Class Programme (WCP) provides them with support that meets their individual needs. A fantastic 94 per cent also agreed that their squad/team is confident in its ability to achieve its performance goals at London 2012. These are just two of the survey's highlights.

I'd like to take the opportunity at this point to congratulate Phil Peat who has just completed the final workshop of the UK Sport Paralympic Coach Development initiative. Launched in April 2011, the Paralympic-specific programme came about following a period of consultation with a number of sports that had requested assistance in developing a coaching workforce through Mission 2012. It's another example of good progress and increased professionalism.

Continuing the good coaching news, in November last year we announced that five-time Paralympian Chantal Petitclerc (pictured below) – the most decorated female track and field athlete of all time with 14 Paralympic gold medals – would join the Paralympics GB athletics team as a coach and athlete mentor for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.


She will attend all key preparation camps and competitions from January 2012 and will work directly with Britain's wheelchair racers alongside Kelly Smith – a marathon silver medallist for Canada in the 2004 Paralympics – and myself.

I coached Chantal for 18 years and I can honestly say it was a big scoop for us to recruit someone with her outstanding talent. It's vital for the team that, in addition, to building the best possible squad of athletes – which I believe we currently have following the strict funding review last November – we need to have a top class coaching team in place, and with the addition of Chantal I think we're making that happen.

Not only can she offer first rate coaching advice, but she can motivate, inspire and guide our athletes after a successful and lengthy career of her own.

We're doing a great job and if we can maintain that momentum, and with the joint efforts of the home countries, we not only have a great base for the London Paralympic Games in 2012, but tremendous momentum for Rio 2016 and beyond.

Peter Eriksson is the UKA Paralympic head coach for the Paralympics and former coach to Chantal Petitclerc of Canada, the most successful Paralympic track and field athlete in history. He is widely considered to be one of the best Paralympic athletics coaches in the world. In total, his athletes have won 119 medals in Paralympic Games. This blog first appeared at UK Sport, the lead body for high performance sport in the UK. Find out more by clicking here.