His life has changed considerably in the last 12 months, going from your every-day student at Colonel Frank Seely School to a full-time sportsman mixing it with Olympians at the National Badminton Centre in Milton Keynes.

Driven by a lifetime ambition and a real Olympic dream, Chris made the decision to leave his home in Nottingham and settle in Bucks – a place he now calls home.

"Moving to Milton Keynes was an amazing opportunity for me. To receive the standard of coaching I now get is fantastic. It's truly a world-class environ-ment and I'm enjoying every single minute."

Despite an on-court injury three years ago which saw him sidelined for the best part of a year, Chris has progressed to win the mixed doubles silver medal in last year's World Junior Championships and he also won a Junior European Championship title a few months later.

He also holds the national record for the number of tournaments won at junior level – a feat he is clearly keen to build on with some tough training with his coach Peter Jeffrey.

"My usual day consists of six hours of training – a combination of on-court and gym training. It's tiring but what I have to do. I used to play for Leicester City juniors but had to make the decision between football and badminton if I was going to excel at one of them. My badminton career doesn't really allow for much else," said the 18-year-old.

Chris could not have found himself in a better position to reach the top of his sport. He regularly trains with fellow players and Olympic silver medallists Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson, as well as receiving top coaching.

He also benefits from a bursary from Atos Origin, the Worldwide IT partner for the Olympic Games, who are dedicated to a long-term commitment to support Team GB. The bursary provides financial support to pay for coaching, equipment and other essentials and Chris is one of 12 young and talented athletes who benefit from the scheme.

"London 2012 is my main goal – my journey starts here and the clock is ticking. Watching the Beijing Games will be such an inspiration and it will only motivate me to win a gold medal in front of a home crowd in 2012."

With the London Olympiad around the corner, Chris is at the forefront of the new era of British badminton and is certainly one to look out for.