THAT Richard Webb is even in with a chance of representing Great Britain at an Olympics Games is somewhat surprising considering the unlikely circumstances of his first experience of life in a swimming pool.

"I had to be saved by a lifeguard," the GB breaststroke specialist recalled.

"I was on holiday in France with my family and all I can really remember was that my parents insisted that I put some armbands on and wait for them before going in the water.

"I had other ideas, though. I marched off to the pool on my own, jumped in without any armbands and promptly sank to the bottom. It wasn't the best of starts to my swimming career!"

A traumatic experience for some, perhaps, but for Webb, one that failed to curb an enthusiasm to learn to stay afloat.

And so began the journey that the Chipping Sodbury swimmer is hoping will end at the newly-constructed Aquatics Centre in London next year – not that competing at the Olympic Games was ever part of the plan in those early years.

"I joined my local club, Southwold in Yate, but it wasn't until I was 16 that I started to take swimming really seriously." explained Webb.

"My coach felt that swimming could be more than a recreational pursuit for me if I committed to training a bit more.

"I then went on to the County Championship later that year, hoping to make the regional qualifying times. I actually managed to take 11 seconds off my personal best in the 200m breaststroke.

"My coach told me that I had swam a national qualifying time, which surprised me because I hadn't understood there was a world of swimming beyond regional level.

"My coach then contacted Bath University and I went up for a trial. Fortunately, they saw something in me and I went to train there before earning my first international selection to represent Great Britain in 2007."

Further international recognition followed before Webb recorded what he regards as his finest achievement to date – breaking the 200m English short course record in 2009.

"The record had been held for 17 years by Nick Gillingham, who won Olympic medals for Great Britain at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games," said Webb.

"To break the record of a former British swimming great made the achievement all the more special for me. It was a big personal best for me.

"I also qualified for the World Championship for the first time on the back of that swim, so it did a lot for my career."

Webb, though, had suffered a "crushing blow" by narrowly failing to qualify for the Olympic Games in Beijing 12 months earlier, but, in the form of his life, a place on the England team for last year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi was secured.

"I felt in really good shape physically and mentally and was confident of being in the running for a medal," said Webb.

"Unfortunately, I got very ill and passed out in my room soon after we arrived. I was found by my team-mate Simon Burnett, who initially thought I was dead. I had to spend the following 48 hours under supervision in bed.

"I was then told I wouldn't be able to compete, but I'd worked hard to get on the team for Delhi and I was determined to be on those blocks regardless.

"I went out and gave it everything I had, but, really, I needed a miracle to make the final in that state. It was a pretty devastating experience."

One that Webb admitted left him contemplating his future. He said: "I was disillusioned by the whole episode and it is probably the closest I have come to quitting swimming."

He added: "I took some time off when I returned to England and seriously considered my future. After speaking to a lot of people I decided to give it another go."

A change of scenery with a move from Bath to the Somerset Cheetas club, in Street, served to whet Webb's appetite for competition again.

"It was the first time I'd changed coaches since I'd started swimming seriously," said Webb.

"I think I just needed a change of scenery and now I'm really enjoying my swimming again."

A place on in the Olympic squad remains the immediate goal – although competition for the two breaststroke places remains stiff.

Webb collected 100m bronze and finished fourth over 200m at the British Championships earlier this year – neither performance quite good enough to claim a spot on the GB team for next month's World Championships in Shanghai.

He gets another chance to fight for the one remaining 100m spot on the plane to China at the National Championship in Sheffield later this week.

"This year has not have gone exactly to plan in terms of qualifying for the World Championships or swimming personal bests," said Webb.

"I was disappointed not to qualify for the World Championships, but I'd rather sacrifice this year to swim well next year. It's one of those decisions you have to make and I just hope that it pays off.

"I'll go to Sheffield this week looking to try and win the races of course, but I don't want to put too much put pressure on myself.

"I feel that I am a much better swimmer now and I am really focused on next year and trying to make the 2012 team."

Webb is ranked fourth-best in the British rankings for 100m and third in the 200m list.

Michael Jamieson, ranked number one in both disciplines, remains the man to beat – but the likes of Kris Gilchrist, Daniel Sliwinski and Andrew Willis are also expected to pose significant threat to Webb and his dreams when the trials get under way at the Aquatics Centre next March.

"Britain is, undoubtedly, world-class in the male breaststroke," said Webb. "I thing the depth we have is pretty phenomenal at the moment. It is going to be a highly competitive field of swimmers hoping to qualify for the Olympics at the selection trials next March. It won't be easy."

He added: "I'm looking forward to going to the Aquatics Centre for the trials. British swimming organised a trip there last year, but the venue was only really half-completed.

"From what I've heard it is an amazing place. Ian Thorpe made a trip there earlier this year and it persuaded him to come out of a four-year retirement to try and add to his Olympic gold medal collection. It must be a pretty inspiring venue."

Webb, though, is hoping his visit will be prove more significant than a mere sightseeing trip from which the chance to say "I've swam there" will be the only reward.

"It would be an honour and a privilege to be part of any Olympic Games," he said. "Everybody would love to represent their country at the highest level. To be able to do it in front of a home crowd would give it an even greater resonance.

"Most people don't even get the chance to be part of this sort of once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I'm just grateful to have an opportunity to possibly get there.

"I'm determined to take my chance with both hands, because I'll never have another opportunity to experience anything like it again."