'Everything happens for a reason' is a saying close to Lauren Cox's heart.
The 23-year-old missed out on an Olympic debut to remember at Paris 2024, unable to dip below the vital qualifying time at trials and unfortunately not gaining selection to the British team.
It left her reeling in the mixed zone after the women's 100m backstroke and contemplating retiring from sport altogether, rather than putting herself through another gruelling four years to try and reach LA 2028.
Ultimately, it was a moment that broke her.
"I remember that moment and feeling so well," she said. "I can finally talk about it now without crying.
"I remember touching the wall and seeing the time and knowing that was it. I felt like I had let everyone down and I just wanted to burst into tears. It was awful.
"Doing the interviews after the race I just had to tell myself 'don't cry' because I didn't want to seem ungrateful for those who had made the team as I was obviously also super happy for those who did.
"It was just a horrible, heartbreaking feeling.
"For a week after, I didn’t do anything but sit in my own self pity."
Struggling to come to terms with missing out on her Olympic dreams, Cox returned to the pool with the help of her then coach Ian Hulme at Loughborough University.
Hulme was convinced that there was more to Cox's swimming journey and was eager to keep her in the sport, even if that meant dropping the metres and upping her social life.
Happy to return to the pool with a focus on the fun, Cox slowly healed her heart with the lull of the waves.
"I came back and had a meeting with my coach Ian straight away. He said his heart was breaking for me," she said.
"He just asked what I wanted to do because he wanted me back in.
"I only wanted to swim once a day and do the fun stuff because I didn't have anything to work towards.
"He wanted to keep me in the pool because he thought I had something special and there was a higher power waiting for me."
Little did she know that her higher power was just around the corner in the form of a ground-breaking Olympic announcement.
"Then this year, it was announced that the 50m would be included in the LA 2028 Olympics," she added.
"The 50m is my strength so maybe that is what I was waiting for. Paris 2024 didn't happen last year because of this."
Cox has always favoured the 50m distance - a pure sprinter.
For years it meant she was one of thousands of swimmers forced to step up to 100m in order to qualify for the Olympic Games.
But the International Olympic Committee announcing that 50m backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly will be added to the LA 2028 Games represented a dream come true for Cox.
It injected a newfound excitement and thrill into her training, with the dream of being on the inaugural women's 50m backstroke podium in LA well and truly alive.
"With the 50s, I just love them and have so much confidence around it," she said. "What will be will be but I know I'm good and will make it to LA 2028.
"I know that instead of just going and getting the t-shirt I can be an Olympic finalist or medallist which is exciting.
"I have to keep my head straight and just do the work to get there now."
Just one year after her Olympic heartbreak, Cox will return to the World Championship stage in Singapore this week with more silverware on her mind.
During her first major international at Fukuoka 2023, she became the first British woman in seven years to medal individually at the swimming world championships, winning 50m backstroke bronze.
And after lowering the British record to a staggering 27.15s at the recent AP Race International in London, Cox knows that a possible follow-up is on the cards in Singapore and can't wait to showcase her best once more.
"I came in at 2023 as an underdog as it was my first worlds," she said.
"This time there is definitely a bit of pressure as I got a medal before and want to get another one.
"I think I just need to go in the same way I did in 2023 and not really think about the medals. I know that if I put a good swim together on the day and don't mess anything up, then I can get the result I want.
"Olympics is my main goal but I'm confident this summer will be good."
Sportsbeat 2025