Olympic Dreams: Preston swimmer Daniel Sliwinski

Daniel Sliwinski says being part of the Olympics is a "once in a blue moon" event

Despite being dogged by injuries Preston swimmer Daniel Sliwinski has vowed to push his body to the limit for the London 2012 Olympics.

In the past 18 months he has had two broken wrists and a knee operation.

Spending about 35 hours training-a-week enabled the swimmer to gain a bronze in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October.

But he was unhappy with his performance and said he would need to train harder to be selected for the Olympics.

"It's been frustrating trying to pick myself up after each injury, each time it's got harder," he said.

"The injuries have kept me out of the water for eight months out of the past 14.

"I still wasn't confident after getting bronze, I felt I'd let the team down, personally I was nowhere near what I should have swam individually."

The 21-year-old said his first Olympic trials would be in March so in terms of preparation, "it will be a case of pushing my body to the limit everyday, getting stuck in, just going for it".

"It means everything to me to part of 2012, it's a once in a blue moon event," he added.

He is now training at Stockport's Grand Central Pool and hopes to represent team GB at the 100 and 200 metres breast-stroke.

Daniel Sliwinski is one of BBC Radio Lancashire's featured athletes as part of 'Olympic Dreams' in the build-up to London 2012.