Purchase and rowing partner Mark Hunter are the undoubted favourites for victory at Eton Manor after dominating the proceedings at the Beijing 2008 Games.

They claimed gold in an Olympic record before underlining their class with victory at the 2010 World Championships at Lake Karapiro in New Zealand.

But with just under 500 days to go until the Olympics get under way, the 24-year-old from Cheltenham said: "I try to set myself exceptionally high standards when it comes to competing and producing the best race I can on the day.

"The pressure from the crowd is a welcome relief from the pressure I put myself under.

"We raced at Beijing as favourites having not been beaten in the 2008 season, so I hope we are learning the best ways to use that adrenaline.

"With 500 days to go, you can guarantee that the athletes who are serious not just about competing at the London games but winning as well will be training hard.

"It will be just another day of pushing limits and maximising opportunities.

"The countdown timer on my website is a constant reminder that I need to be doing all I can on a daily basis to ensure I get the result I'm after.

"It's a great reminder that there is a reason for all of the hard work along the way.

"Beijing was a fantastic experience but I expect London will, for me, massively exceed the 2008 Games.

"Given what the country achieved in Beijing, I know that as long as people keep supporting the athletes we can produce more and more thrilling competition.


"We are a hugely driven group of people, determined and ambitious.

"With the right people around us and the right support there is no reason that Great Britain can not enjoy a month of win after win after win."

Purchase revealed his training regime can be very hard as he steps up his preparations but said it must be done to ensure success.

"It's a fairly monotonous regime to be honest, usually three sessions per day with a day off every two weeks," he explained.

"We have a good mix between endurance and technique on the water mixed up with weights and the dreaded Concept II rowing machine - every rower loathes the solitude of an ergo!

"We then have to ensure we get the most suitable recovery and also repair our bodies with a good diet and help from Science in Sport's drinks.

"Rowers in general are great.

"We are, as a breed, happy to spend time talking to people and get to know them.

"Sometimes in other sports the athletes' time is so important, and the demands on them are so great, that they lose sight of this really key aspect.

"Public engagement is great fun too - we occasionally get let out of our training centre and allowed into the real world and I tell you, it's a welcome relief."

After winning his gold at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Purchase has become a popular public speaker when he is not rowing and admits he enjoys the job.

"I talk to many different types and sizes of audiences and tailor what I'm talking about to each one.

"It's great to know a bit about the audience beforehand and try to match up some of my experiences in sport to aims or objectives that they have as a group.

"Having said that, the human side of the story is also quite important and people enjoy hearing about the behind the scenes information and a more personal insight into my experiences at the Beijing Games.

"I know not a huge number of people have an understanding of the sport, so I try to keep away from any of the technical aspects or any of the day-to-day drudgery.

"Rowing fanatics might actually be a little disappointed that I don't waffle on about it more often," he added.

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