Table Tennis England’s Evie Collier is playing a key role to help Team GB’s Olympic athletes arrive on the start line in Paris fully focused on their performances.

Evie has been seconded to Team GB Central Operations in the French capital and will be part of a team responsible for travel arrangements for the athletes.

Based at the Performance Lodge, she will ensure athletes have a smooth travel experience from their prep camps into the Olympic Village, and between the Village and their venues throughout the Games.

Evie, who is Performance Logistics Officer at Table Tennis England, will be able to draw on her experience in that role, making travel arrangements for all the players in the England and GB Performance squads who compete around the world.

She said: “I was made aware of this opportunity and went for the interview. And I remember I was sat in Sheffield (at the Elite Training Centre) waiting to go into a meeting when I got the call to give me the role.

“I’m incredibly excited – I think I’ve had a countdown on since about November since I found out!

“It’s absolutely incredible. I wasn’t expecting it because I’m very still new to the operations role, but to be given the opportunity, I’m very, very grateful. It is an absolute dream come true.

“I’m just excited to be in that environment, to be alongside fantastic athletes – a world-class athletes – and really working as one team to really create that medal success.

“It was always something that I really wanted to do and I’m incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to really tick this off my list.”

Evie has been to Paris to get to know the set-up there and said she had been given a huge amount of support by Gavin Evans, Head of Performance Development.

She said: “Gavin has been phenomenal in the support that he’s given me. I’ve been really lucky to go on a number of recces with the BOA, supporting Gav with those. And I think Gav giving me those opportunities has really given me the confidence to really head into this role.

“I think that preparation has been really key, because I’ve got a bit of a head start in terms of knowing the environment, knowing the expectations.

“In my role with Table Tennis England, obviously it’s a lot of making sure everything is in place and organised, so that’s something that I really pride myself on and something that I can bring into the role with Team GB.”

With more major international events to be held in England in the coming years, there is a lot of knowledge Evie can pick up from her role to help the organisation of those events.

“I think having the opportunity to work alongside very talented individuals within the operations space, I’m really learning from them,” she said.

“For me to be the best I can be, there’s always those learning opportunities. So, I’m really going in to see what I can take from the major Games role and bring it back to my role.”

The only possible cause for concern Evie is not being able to speak much French, as she admitted: “This is the only point where I wish I’d listened more at school!”

“I can speak a little bit. I know how to say ‘I like coffee’, which for me is a really big one out there.

“It’s something that you’ll probably pick up as you’re in that environment. I think as long as I can ask for coffee, I’m all good!”