London, May 7 (ANI): British swimmer Gemma Spofforth, who has been tipped for gold medal glory at the London Olympics, has had to pull herself back from the brink to compete in the 100 metres backstroke at this summer's games.
Just a year ago the 24-year-old stood on the balcony of a tower block on Australia's Gold Coast, and came close to jumping to her death.
Gemma grew up part of a tightknit family, so it came as a huge blow when her mother Lesley was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2007.
It was particularly tough for the then 19 year old, who had moved to the University of Florida just a year before in a bid to help her swimming prospects.
Lesley insisted Gemma stayed and trained rather than return to the family home, but as her condition deteriorated, Gemma flew back and arrived just in time to say goodbye before her mother died in December 2007.
Gemma used her mother's death to motivate her in the pool and in 2008 she was selected on the British team to compete at the Beijing Olympics.
But she admits now she was burying her emotions. Under the surface she was struggling and it was during this period she first considered suicide.
"I didn't care that I'd made the Olympic team. I wanted mum back. I walked out of my house with no idea what I was doing, where I was going. "I'll walk out in front of a car and that'll be the easiest thing," the Daily Mail quoted her as telling the Sunday Times.
"I'm still not sure what stopped me. There were no cars around at the time. That helped. But there was a little bit of hope left inside me and I turned back," she said.
She excelled at Beijing, finishing fourth and narrowly missing out on a medal, by a fraction of a second.
At the age of 21 she had shown she could compete on the world stage.
Feeling fortified, she tried to volunteer at a local crisis centre but was told she needed to be free of suicidal thoughts for a year before she could help others.
Instead of a blow, the rejection gave Gemma a target and a reason to stay positive, focused and happy.
The following year she competed at the World Championships in Rome and won gold, setting a new World Record.
Shortly afterwards she was accepted at the crisis centre and rose to the ranks of associate counsellor - responsible for making emergency calls to those desperately in need of help.
She was thriving until another blow last year took her back to square one.
She was preparing to join a training camp in Australia when she got a call from her father telling her that his new girlfriend June had been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Stranded miles away and unable to reach out for support, she crumbled.
"It was one of the most confusing and emotional times in my life. I was drowning under the weight of it all.
"I hadn't been there for Mum and Dad and now I'm not there for Dad and June," she said.
While her teammates slept she stood on the balcony of her Gold Coast apartment and only a burst of strength stopped her from jumping. June lost her battle later that year.
Tragedy struck a third time before the end of 2011 when June's daughter Vicky - Gemma's close friend - also died from cancer.
It was a huge double blow for Gemma who started skipping training and binge eating to comfort herself.
She finished that year 17th in the world at her best event and admits there were times she contemplating quitting swimming altogether.
The Olympics seemed a distant and unlikely prospect, but she found her way back to the pool, finding swimming a soothing therapy.
"I saw the five Olympic rings at St. Pancras (station) and it hit me. I was like: "Oh, I really do want this journey"," she said.
She qualified for the 100 metres backstroke and is one of Britain's strongest hopes for a medal. (ANI)
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