BRITISH record holding pole vaulter Holly Bleasdale has spoken of her hopes – and gruelling training and diet regime – ahead of the Olympic Games.

Blackburn Harrier Holly, 20, has been training hard ahead of London 2012 and is highly tipped for Team GB, after gaining bronze at this year’s World Indoor’s Championships.

She said: “I’m in a really hard block of training at the moment with a couple of months to go. I’m training every day except Sunday, twice a day, at Sport City in Manchester.

“I’m usually there between 9.30am and 5pm, training all that time. I have physiotherapy then a session, then about an hour and a half for lunch, then my next session.

"I do about three or four hours of training a day.

“I also do things like core work and strength training at home.”

Holly told the Lancashire Telegraph how important her diet was: “I have a food nutritionist to advise me on what to eat to ensure quick recovery and high energy levels.

“As well as food, I also need protein powder, pro-biotics and vitamins. I don’t count calories. As an athlete, getting a healthy balanced diet and making sure I have enough energy to train and compete is crucial.

“Everyone thinks athletes have to be really strict all the time. I am healthy about 95 per cent of the time and five per cent of the time I have a little treat to let myself go.

"You can’t do that too regularly, but if you are too restrictive it doesn’t work.

“My favourite treat is chocolate. I sometimes treat myself to a Freddo chocolate bar. If I go for a meal, I tend to have a starter and a main but not a pudding.”

Holly is the face of Subway’s Train Hard. Eat Fresh campaign, with a television advert featuring Holly and boxer Anthony Ogogo, in which Holly talks about her favourite sandwich – the Subway Club, made of ham and turkey breast.

She said: “I feel really privileged to be helped by Subway. I have always really enjoyed the sandwiches. It’s really good that they show you how many calories they are.”

Speaking about the Olympics, Holly said she was really excited: “I think Team GB has a really strong team. Hopefully the best ever.

“There are lots of young athletes. I have only been training for three and a half years and I’m going to be competing in the Olympics.

“It just shows that if you put the work in and you’re determined then you can achieve anything.

Holly’s first event is the Olympic Trials on 12 June.