The sport is in a really strong place at the moment. Only last weekend, at the World Championships trials, Zharnel Hughes won both the 100  and 200 metres in pretty difficult circumstances, he continues to run so well right now and that doesn’t just happen by accident. 

The support he and our other athletes have to concentrate on developing themselves, continually making improvements, thanks to The National Lottery funding and wraparound support for their training, the sky is the limit at this next month's World Athletics Championships in Budapest and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. 

Hughes' absolutely put himself on the map, competing in two of the toughest events that draws everyone’s attention. If he can keep injury free, I have no doubt he is going to run so fast - in the 200m, I think he could deliver 19.6, he’s that good.

For the Women’s team, you’ve got the likes of Daryll Neita and Dina Asher-Smith, that kind of domestic rivalry we haven’t seen for a few years in the female sprints which is great to see and shows the fierceness of competition that we have at the moment.

Middle distance in particular is so strong right now - I call it the "Kelly Holmes effect". 

What she did in 2004, there is no coincidence to where we are now because the young girls who were watching were the Keely Hodgkinsons of the world today. 

Over 800m, Keely is now the fastest in the world today this year, so mentally strong whenever I’ve spoke to her, coming away with World Championships silver and actually being a little bit disappointed, because she wants more and knows her capability. 

We are all hoping that she will be crowned world champion this year, she’s now one of the poster girls of British sport and I’m looking forward to her competing because she can absolutely do something special.

That’s not forgetting the men’s middle distance, which is also extremely strong. 

Athletics overall in the UK is really in a good place, some might question that as inevitably sport has to go through a bit of a transition - your Mo Farahs aren’t around anymore, your Jessica Ennis-Hill, your Greg Rutherford. 

These are real superstars that made an incredible impact in London 2012 in particular, but when you think about the talent that we have coming through now and starting the assert themselves more and more on a world stage, you just need to look to them to realise the sport is in very safe hands.

I can remember back to pre-funding days, when I competed at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. 

The honest truth of it is that without my parents being in a financial position to help me, support the costs when I left university to become a full-time athlete, I simply couldn’t have done it. 

Fortunately, the year after The National Lottery stepped in and changed everything. You only have to look at the progression of the sport and the successes of London 2012, Rio 2016and Beijing 2022 to see the fruit of that support. 

Our Olympians and Paralympians would not be able to compete on the highest level if it wasn’t for The National Lottery.

Seeing the level of facilities at places like Loughborough in the UK, that is what is needed if you want to mix it with the best and compete on the world stage. It’s essential that athletes are provided with all they need, not just a track to run on but the right medical care, training camps - for me it goes as far as being a psychological edge, knowing you have the full support behind you.

Right now, we have 39 Para athletes competing out in Paris at the World Championships. 

Without the right support, athletes need part-time or full-time jobs, they can’t become the best athletes that they can be. The progression we have seen across our parasport programmes has been incredible. 

I was in Christchurch in New Zealand for the 2011 World Championships, and the stadium was empty, there wasn’t a collective voice behind it. 

After London 2012, everything changed. 

To see our Paralympians, compete in front of 80,000 in a stadium and millions more on broadcast, that is something to be celebrated. 

National Lottery funding for Para-Athletics for this cycle alone is over £9 million ($11.8 million/€10.5 million), and has helped our Paralympians become some of the best in the world. 

The fact that we have such a talented squad, we need to recognise that as they go out onto the world stage and make us proud.

The icons that we are creating, supporting through funding and raising profile, are the ones who are inspiring the next generation who are at home, with a disability who may have felt isolated or alone without sport. 

When they see the likes of David Weir, Hannah Cockcroft or Richard Whitehead competing, they see themselves and it becomes real. 

And thanks to the pathway we have established, we will see those kids in five, ten years’ time following their dreams and inspiring the nation themselves.