The first week in July saw the ParalympicsGB cycling team selected for the London 2012 Paralympics stay at the St Pierre Hotel and Country Club in Chepstow for the week, while we trained at the National Velodrome in Newport.

St Pierre is our holding camp venue before the transition up to London one week before the Games.

The first week of my training on the track was a small shock to my system, having had only two weeks back on the track in Manchester after my training abroad. But with my legs finding their power again, the efforts on the track were going to be increased every day to maximise my improvements for London over the next two weeks.

On the Sunday July 8, fellow cyclist and Paralympic gold medallist Jody Cundy and I were invited to take part in a Sky ride for the public at the Velodrome in Newport as part of the celebrations of 50 days to go before the start of the Paralympics.


The day was organised to invite the public to take part in safe cycling with trained staff on the roads around Newport. Jody (pictured below, left next to Colbourne) and I had a fab time and made lots of new cycling friends, who also enjoyed their cycling experiences around the coastline roads in the sun.

My second week of track training in Newport saw some progress at last. The first week was more like a baptism of fire for me trying to achieve some really fast times on the boards, as well as get used to training at maximum on every effort. The week session was broken up with a three-hour road ride with two of the team members who really enjoyed the Welsh countryside, apart from the rain, which was warm but very wet.

While I was at the camp in Newport, I had the pleasure of being interviewed over the telephone by Stuart Lieberman from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

The IPC oversees all Paralympic sports across the globe, so it was my pleasure to share my epic life-changing story with Stuart and explain just how my life has changed since becoming a Para-cyclist and also a Paralympic hopeful. I had to explain who Dewi the Dragon (pictured second image down) was and how he was going to help me in London, as my Paralympic mascot.


On July 13, the team and I went to the Crown Plaza Hotel in London to have our official suit fitting for the Paralympic Games, supplied by retailer Next.

It was a brilliant experience for everyone that attended. This was the first time we had the chance to mingle with our fellow ParalympicsGB athletes from all the other sports who will be competing in London during August and September.

The journey back to Manchester that night was very slow and certainly a long one, having taken us six hours to drive back, as the traffic was bedlam. The next day I was keen to get back on my bike and felt really good on my two-hour road ride on my TT bike, which was, thankfully, spent in the sunshine.

Monday July 16 saw the start of my six-week double training sessions on the track. This involved a road ride in the morning, then a full on track session in the afternoon, plus, gym twice a week. I do honestly enjoy these sessions; it's just a case of working hard and then sleeping through the tiredness before the benefits are seen a few weeks later.


Shortly after, I was invited by Paralympic partner Deloitte to a private function to share my experiences and my life-changing story with some of their young clients in Manchester. Deloitte are the professional services supporter for London 2012 and among the country's leading professional services firms. My talk went really well and I had the pleasure of holding an Olympic Torch (pictured below, right). It felt rather surreal to actually be holding a real one. The evening was a great success and enjoyed by all. At times I still have to pinch myself to realise I am actually doing what I am doing for my country. It was my pleasure to talk and network with such a fabulous group of professionals.

My last week of training in July saw my track sessions time and time spent on the TT bike increase. This extra amount of training helps me to overload my body before I start my final few weeks of preparation, for the biggest challenge of my cycling career at the London 2012 Paralympics.

The end of July saw Jody Cundy and I, attend a BBC radio interview called World Have Your Say at the Manchester National Velodrome. The interview was broadcast live across the world and covered the global excitement that London 2012 has created. The interview went really well, especially as Bradley Wiggins had just won the Tour De France two days previously – so everyone was on a GB high.


As the biggest sporting event on the planet began at the end of July, Olympic fever hit the UK with style. We saw hundreds of millions of people across the globe watch the Opening Ceremony in awe and with only four weeks to go before the Paralympics start, the whole of the UK will be behind every one of our ParalympicsGB athletes.

I am so excited to be a ParalympicsGB cyclist competing at a home Paralympic Games, knowing that very soon I will not only be racing on the same track as Sir Chris Hoy, but with 6,500 screaming fans in the stands. This is something that really does get me fired up to do well. I wish all Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes all the very best for the Games and know we will make Britain proud by doing our absolute best!

Mark Colbourne is the reigning world champion in the C1 three kilometres pursuit and a major gold medal contender at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The 42-year-old from Wales broke his back after a serious paragliding accident in May 2009. He took up cycling as part of rehabilitation and is now regarded as one of the best cyclists in the world.