I am a firm believer that if you bring in a new year with a positive, it sets the year up nicely for more positives. So when I prolapsed a disc in my back on New Year’s Eve 2009, straight away I thought that 2010 was going to be a very trying year.

It was the third time I’d prolapsed a disc that year so I’ve learnt how to manage it and get back to training as soon as possible. Six days later and I was on a plane to South Africa, hoping the back would be fine and looking forward to four weeks warm-weather training.

Unfortunately, this really didn’t go to plan as my Achilles tendons were causing me a lot of pain so I pretty much spent the next four weeks doing rehab and sitting by the pool. So after missing the indoor season, I flew to Los Angeles for six weeks’ training with the back and Achilles issues pretty much non existent.

My coach, Lloyd Cowan, said at the start of the season that he wanted the gold at the Europeans in Barcelona and, if I was still in one piece, the Commonwealth gold from Delhi too. At the time I just nodded my head and agreed. You have to set your targets high, but they are just words – it was down to me to step on the line and do the business.

The season went pretty well. I’d been running 13.3 regularly and even managed to break the world best for 200m hurdles, which took me by surprise. I knew I was in pretty decent shape so I was beginning to get excited for Barcelona. The two weeks at the holding camp in Monte Gordo went well, training was very light and sharp and mentally I felt more than ready I could meet my aims.

On the morning of my heat I felt so relaxed. I watched other athletes pacing up and down nervously, but when you feel confident and know you’re in shape, you don’t get so nervous.

I won the heat in 13.48 and felt very comfortable. I still had work to do, but I was more excited than nervous.

“To have been completely written off and to come back and be crowned European champion made the win even more sweet”

I thought my semi was slightly tougher, but if I was to win gold then I had to beat everyone anyway so I just focused on the job in hand. I was winning the race until about hurdle seven when I hit it and wobbled, which allowed Petr Svoboda to come by and take first. But it didn’t matter as I felt in great shape and I just needed to keep it clean in the final.

The final was an hour and a half later. In the warm-up area, I was more relaxed than I thought I would be, but was this a good sign? I remember that Svoboda got a great start, but I was just marginally behind, so he knew I was there and I even felt like I was closing slightly, which is why he made a mistake. Unfortunately, for him it cost him a medal.

People say that if he hadn’t hit the hurdle, he would have won. But the fact is that he did hit the hurdle and the person who made the least mistakes was always going to win that race. On crossing the line the feeling of joy and elation was something I’m not sure I can put into words. To have been completely written off and to come back and be crowned European champion made the win even more sweet.

The races between Barcelona and Delhi were a mixed bag. I was so motivated to race at Crystal Palace and a few other meets, but as time went on I noticed I didn’t have that excited, adrenaline feeling on the start line. I felt my motivation dwindling and I started to feel a bit mentally worn-out from the huge high of Barcelona.

However, when I reached Delhi I immediately rediscovered that motivation. The Games environment is special and I was beginning to feel excited at the prospect of becoming a double champion.

The heat in Delhi (13.58) felt so easy. I felt like I switched off after hurdle four, so I knew I still had a good run in my legs.

The final was later that day. My start wasn’t very good but after hurdle four I couldn’t see anyone so went into safe mode so as not to risk the gold medal. Securing the double was a truly amazing feeling and something I’m immensely proud of.

It just goes to show what a bit of perseverance can achieve. I was told I’m too slow and had been written off, but I always knew I had it in me. It took until I was 29 and 30 to win my gold medals and it’s just made me hungrier for more.