Loughborough College sport student and hockey ace Nicola White faces a nervous few weeks as selection for Team GB ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games draws ever closer.

The 23-year-old striker has had a difficult season after struggling with tendonitis in her hip during the early months of the year but hopes she has regained her form at just the right time.

She said: “It’s been really frustrating for me and I am trying to get back to fitness now. I had an injection in my hip back in January and I was out of action for a few weeks.

“But I am back playing now so hopefully it won’t have jeopardised my chances to compete at the Olympics.

“I feel like I am getting a lot better and hopefully that will be enough. We have two big competitions coming up over the summer and I’d really like to be involved.”

First up is the Champions Trophy in Holland in June followed by a trip to Germany for the European Championships in August.

“We won three bronze medals last year and obviously want to go at least one better this year – we’re really going for gold,” she added.

“This is a big year for us and it will set a benchmark for where we are at and ahead of next year.

“Our priority is of course to make the final. We need to make that step up to get there and we’ll need to make an even bigger jump next year at the Olympics and I think we’ve got a really good chance of doing that.”