STEPHANIE Millward was so focused on putting in good performances at last week’s British Gas Swimming Championships that she almost forgot to appreciate sealing her place at this summer’s Paralympic Games.

The 30-year-old Corsham swimmer had a successful week at the new London Aquatics Centre, swimming the qualifying times in the S9 400m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly.

Millward, who trains at the Wales National Pool High Performance Centre in Swansea and competed in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, said: “You only really think about the races because you want to do well in them and you forget about the real aim.

“Everyone else’s reactions made you realise how important it was though and it’s been really nice because I’ve had people coming up to me in my little gym this week asking how it went.

“It was really tense but I knew that I just had to get the times and I thought that I could do that - I don’t want to sound up myself but that’s how I felt.”

Millward also says that competing at the newly-built London Aquatics Centre has ramped up the excitement ahead of her return there for the Paralympics.

She added: “It was pretty special, stunning and very pretty.

“It wasn’t the fastest pool in the world but you could see where all the fans were going to be and that was fantastic.

“Everyone (at the trials) was cheering for everyone and that was really nice – it’ll be great for the Paralympics.”

The Paralympics begin on August 29, a fortnight after the end of the Olympics. Just like the Olympics, they will be opened by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and are arguably the most hotly-anticipated Paralympics ever.

Like many of her peers Millward has high hopes of doing well in London.