DURING the last Olympics at London 2012 Hampshire sailor Nicola Groves believed her life “wasn’t really going anywhere”.

At that point she was working a “normal job” in London, but four years later she has been selected, along with team-mate and Southampton University graduate Ben Watson, to represent Great Britain at the Olympics in Rio.

The 27-year-old, who lives near Southampton, is now, as her website states, “going for gold” in Rio, adding that she and Watson are “working together to be the best in the world”.

“It means everything to me to be selected for Team GB,” she said. “It’s the highlight of my life, and I can’t wait to get started and give it everything when I get to Rio.

“Four years ago I just had a normal job in London and I was thinking that it wasn’t really going anywhere.”

Watson, who studied business studies at Southampton University, first joined forces with Groves in September 2014 and they have since forged a highly successful partnership in the Nacra 17.

At their first major event sailing together in November 2014, the Sailing World Cup finals in Abu Dhabi, the duo finished 7th overall, before winning silver at the Sailing World Cup in Miami in January 2015.

It was then in October 2015 that Groves and Watson took gold at the European Championships in Barcelona.

This year they have finished 6th at the World Championships in Florida, 4th at the Sailing World Cup in Hyeres, France before, in the final major event before the Olympics, they claimed victory at the Sailing World Cup in Weymouth.

After four years of dedication, Groves and Watson are the 3rd in the Nacra 17 world rankings, which means they are the best Great Britain boat.

“We’re definitely going to be aiming for the gold medal in Rio,” said Groves.

“It was great to get the bronze medal at the Copa do Brazil in December, but hopefully this summer we can make that medal a little bit shinier!

“When I was younger I looked up to Shirley Robertson [British Olympic gold medal winning sailor in 2000 and 2004], she was amazing.

“Most sailors will tell you that they looked up to Ben Ainslie, but Shirley was always my favourite.

“She managed to win gold medals, so it just makes me think, ‘Why can’t I?’”