VIDEO: Golden girl Ellie Simmonds all go for Rio

With exactly 12 months to go to the Rio 2016 Games, the 20-year-old Aldridge swimmer is anticipating the 'toughest' competition in her decade-long career.

She says the biggest threat to her Olympic crowns in the pool will not only come from 14-year-old Australian swimming sensation Tiffany Thomas-Cane and Ukrainian Yelyzaveta Mereshko – but the arrival of surprise unknown competitors bursting on the scene.

She said: "It is getting tougher each year. The world championships was really tough and there are so many new people in the scene.

"At this moment, there is a new Australian who has just turned 14, there are two Ukrainians who are doing really well and we will have more people again before the Paralympics.

"A few months before London 2012 there was an American who beat my two world records so you are always trying to see who is on the scene.

"You never know who is going to get injured or just crop up through the the trials.

"Rio will be the toughest. Every contest is tough. It is pushing me and pushing the times I can achieve.

The Midlands would be the 'perfect' host for a major games tournament which has produced a string of the country's top athletes, Ellie said.

The 20-year-old, who competed in the inaugural UK School Gamesevent nine years ago, said she would love to see her home region stage the 12-sport showcase which sees more than 1,600 of the country's most promising youngsters go for gold.

She said: "I went to the first one in 2006 in Glasgow when I was 11 and it gave me the initial experience of competing on the big stage with opening and closing ceremonies and loads of other sports going on.

"It would be great to see it in the West Midlands. Birmingham and the surrounding area has everything with Alexander Stadium, a new 50m pool being built at Birmingham University, the NEC, it would be perfect and fantastic for the area."

"We are going to see more world records broken and it will be amazing to watch."

The former Boldmere Swimming Club member, who turns 21 in November, is attempting to regain fitness after a summer away from the pool.

She so far has four Olympic gold medals to her name – two each from Beijing and London. She is currently Olympic champion in the 400m freestyle and the 200m individual medley.

But she does not now what distances she will attempt in Rio.

"I have no idea yet," she said.

"I love all of the distances. I love 200 individual medley because it's four strokes, and then the 400 because it's gruelling and the sprints because of the thrill.

"This week we have got back into training so I'm in the pool three times a day, boxing, canoeing, doing shoulder conditioning before going to a camp in Colorado and doing winter training.

"It is a lot of really tough stuff, particularly in preparation for the 400m freestyle with a lot of aerobics to build up my stamina. "Then we go on a camp in January to get away after Christmas time.

"At Christmas time I normally get a break but not sure about this year as it's the build up to the Paralympics and it's tough. March and April time we will have the trials before a few days off then it all heads to the Paralympics but at the moment I haven't decided at all.

"I will have a catch up with my coach and set some goals and speak about what he wants me to do at trials and then we will re-evaluate.

"My main goal is to get back into fitness and qualify."

Ellie now trains in Manchester and this week was an ambassador for the Sainsbury's Schools Games which sees 1,600 of the top school athletes compete across 12 sports.

"It would be great to see it in the West Midlands. Birmingham and the Black Country has everything."