A TENSE Penketh household relaxed into cheers when Gemma Prescott’s selection for ParalympicsGB at London 2012 was confirmed this week.

The 28-year-old full-time athlete, a former pupil at Great Sankey High School, will be throwing the club and shot put at the Olympic Stadium later this summer.

She has represented her country all over the world, having thrown in Beijing (China) four years ago, the Commonwealth Games in Delhi (India) in 2010 and the World Championships in Christchurch (New Zealand) last year and now she is relishing being on the biggest stage in her own country.

“It’s pretty special to be selected for your country at any event but a home games is extra special,” said Prescott.

“When you’re on home turf there’ll be a lot of people there to support me, including people who don’t know me and that’s really special.

“A comment made by Andy Murray at Wimbledon last week struck a chord with me about that, saying that it can be extra pressure having the country behind you.

“But he said if you can harness that support it can inspire you and that’s a good way to treat it.”

A bronze medal in the shot put in Delhi and a bronze in her stronger club throw event in Christchurch shows anything is possible on her day and Prescott, who has cerebral palsy and throws from her wheelchair, is clear on her aims.

“I just want to do the best I can,” she said.