Rather than just focusing on athletes' sporting achievements, I tell stories about how they have got to where they are, and what kind of struggles they might have encountered. The public is going to be seeing a lot more of them in the coming months, so building awareness about them is key.
Sport has become a big deal here as a direct result of the Games being held in London. Lots of schemes and organisations have promoted not only the health benefit of getting involved in sport, but also the social aspect, especially for young people.
Coverage is multiplatform now, so I work across the BBC — both domestic and world — in online, web, audio and film.
I get to do everything from straight news pieces to more creative and quirky viral web films. It can also be a challenge as, at one event, the various regions will want different content for different platforms so it's a lot of juggling deadlines and considering exactly what I can provide based on the interviews and footage I can secure.
I take ownership of athletics, basketball, boxing, badminton, judo, football, table tennis and rowing coverage, as well as dabbling in a few other disciplines.
Cherry picking which stories you bring to the audience can be tough as, within eight sports, there are hundreds of athletes to choose from and it's hard to be selective sometimes. Although I'm from Kent originally, I see myself as an adopted Londoner and I don't think having the Games so close to home will hit me until it actually arrives. I realise the scale of the event, but I don't think I can really comprehend it just yet. I have been covering the Olympics for so long now that I am itching for the first event to get under way and to be as close to the action as possible.
Jessica is a BBC Olympic and Paralympic Games sports reporter. Interview: Ianthe Butt.
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