How did you start practising swimming and who or what encouraged you?

I started swimming when I was seven years old – by today’s standards, that’s rather late. At the time, my older sister used to swim for the newly formed Maltese national team.

When did you decide to pursue it professionally?

Unfortunately, in swimming many girls give up at the age of 15, predominantly due to the stress of upcoming O levels and GCSEs but also because it is an age when many girls stop improving as they are developing. Yet in my case, when I was 15, my swimming times really improved and I made the transition from club swimmer to national swimmer.

What training regime did you follow for national competitions?

At the beginning of each competitive year (September to August) I would set a plan with my coach consisting of three micro-cycles. The last cycle would culminate in my peak competition, usually the Games of the Small States of Europe on alternate years or the Olympic Games every four years.

Each micro-cycle roughly involved 11 weeks of tough training and one week of tapering by reducing both the intensity as well as the duration of training. For the third cycle the taper period would be much longer.

And how did this regime change in the run-up to the Olympics?

In the weeks leading up to the competition your hard work is done and at this point all you can do is pray for good health and prepare mentally by using various techniques such as visualisation.

How did you feel when you were chosen as part of the Malta team for the Sydney Olympics?

I was chosen to represent Malta at the Olympics at the age of 16. I was not the favourite swimmer at the time and it was a really close battle to the very last day of qualifying. I was very young and obviously ecstatic. Just one year previously, I was ranked fifth in the country and participating in the Olympics was truly beyond my dreams.

What do you remember most about the Sydney Olympics in 2000?

I remember how, before my race, athletes were summoned to the call room. I was about to swim in the first heat of the 100m butterfly – before my race, there was the last heat of the 400m freestyle.

In Australia, swimming is the most popular sport – swimmers enjoy the same popularity and pay as British footballers do and therefore it came as no surprise that all the 35,000 spectator seats were full. Ian Thorpe, arguably the top swimmer in the world at the time was about to swim in lane four in front of his home crowd. As Thorpe set out onto the poolside for his debut, the roars and stamping were incredible.

He cruised to a world record swim and everyone was on their feet screaming. It was the first world record I had ever witnessed and I was on the poolside within a couple of metres of Thorpe when he touched the wall.

Then four years later you participated in the Athens Olympics – what are your memories of that edition?

At 21, I was more mature and better prepared for the Athens Games. My swimming times had improved considerably and I was training with the Italian national team in the run up to the games.

The atmosphere at the Athens Olympics was amazing – it felt surreal observing the Canadians come out of their race and walk straight into an ice bath or the Americans getting a blood test and a rub down moments after their race. Suddenly you realise that you are here alone with just your coach – you have had no altitude training, no ice baths, no sport massages or blood tests. And it dawns on you that you are competing against giants.

On the other hand, the entire world is represented at the Olympic Games and without the presence of smaller nations, the swimming competition would be a battle between the Americans themselves.

The Olympic Games is the greatest sporting event because all the world comes together for sport and we should be part of this celebration.

What benefits does participating in the Olympic Games give Maltese athletes?

To secure your place on the Maltese team you have to be the best swimmer on the island. The competition to be the best motivates you as an athlete and drives you to be better than you have ever been.

Upon arriving at the Olympic village and after training with all the athletes, I got a chance to observe their training sessions and stroke techniques, discuss training tips and diets and most importantly meet thousands of athletes you are waking up at five in the morning just like you to train for five hours a day and who do it for the love of sport.

I would listen to their advice, tips and motivational talk and once back in Malta, I would share them with the rest of my teammates as we prepared for our next season. In this way I believe that athletes representing their country at such a high international level are true ambassadors and the experience gained at such events can be passed on to upcoming local swimmers.

How does it feel to represent your country at an international level?

It is an honour to represent Malta at international competitions. The support I get from family and friends is overwhelming and the positive atmosphere at the Olympic Games is indescribable.

In fact, I wanted to be part of the London Olympics – I am proud to be a volunteer for the London 2012 Games in the hope that I can contribute in a small way to make the athletes’ experience as glorious and amazing as mine was.

In your opinion, which country nurtures the best swimmers, and why?

At the moment the Americans have the best swimmers and the majority of the world’s best non-American swimmers train in the States.

Your thoughts about the London 2012 Olympic Games?

In my opinion, the best Olympic showdown will be Michael Phelps versus Ryan Lochte, both swimming for the United States. The man to watch for the sprint events is Australia’s James Magnussen – he’s so fast that he’s been nicknamed ‘the missile’.

In the women’s events Fran Hansell for the UK and the young Missy Franklin will have a shot at gold and promise to emerge as superpowers.

I have recently visited an Olympic site at Eton Dorney. The place is beautiful, the organisation is phenomenal and the atmosphere is already superb. I truly believe that London 2012 promises to be the best edition ever and I hope that this will also hold true for the Maltese contingent.

Ripple effect

Angie Galea, one of Malta’s top female swimmers, competed in the Sydney Olympics in 2000 in the women’s 100m butterfly. Four years later, she represented Malta at the Athens Olympics in the same category. Galea retired from professional swimming in 2007. However, she still surfs, kite-surfs and coaches in her spare time. She also plays waterpolo for Bristol in the female British National First Division waterpolo league. Galea, 29, works as senior registrar at Plymouth NHS Hospital, specialising in interventional and cardiac radiology.