Anticipation. Pride. Excitement. Readiness.
From the mouths of Olympians - that's exactly how it feels to be a part of Team GB.
In the final episode of our six-part series 'Sporty AF' (And Female), we hear from four incredible Olympic athletes as they discuss what makes being a part of Team GB so special.
Hosted by AJ Odudu, the episode, entitled 'One Team, Team GB', joins sprinter Imani-Lara Lansiquot, long jumper Jazmin Sawyers and artistic swimmers Kate Shortman and Izzy Thorpe as they talk through the team spirit of the Olympics and the importance of male allies and role models on the journey to the top as a woman in sport.
Welcome to Team GB
Every few years, the very best of the best are selected to represent Team GB at the pinnacle of sport: the Olympic Games.
No matter which sport, the comradery of teamwork is ingrained within every athlete as they will each other to succeed.
It's an atmosphere that Lansiquot summarised when she said: "In my event, even though you're competing against each other, when you're there for Team GB you do feel like you're competing as part of a team.
"We could just be racing against each other in the 100m but we're all vying for each other to do well.
"It's about being genuine, being yourself and leaning on each other. That's where our power comes from."
With every selected athlete having endured years of gruelling training and competition to call themselves Olympians, Shortman believes those shared experiences really bring the team aspect to the forefront.
"It really does feel like you're part of a bigger team," she said.
"You have this instant connection with athletes. You have similar training schedules and have made similar sacrifices to get where you want to be."
The importance of male allies
For Sawyers and Lansiquot, the idea of mixed training group is the everyday normal.
Both athletes train alongside men and women in their respective events day-to-day and have spoken on the benefits of having male athletes championing their success, as well as how their integrated sessions lead to greater equality.
"In track and field, it's integrated men and women all the time," said Sawyers.
"I've had mainly male coaches, and they don't distinguish between their male athletes and their female athletes, we all train at the same time.
"By the nature of athletics, we have male allies, and they see us as athletes and not necessarily female athletes.
"The male coaches I've had have been great at managing the issues that are unique to female athletes but don't treat us any differently in how much they want us to succeed."
On the other end of the scale, artistic swimming has been primarily viewed as a female sport for the majority of its Olympic programme.
But in a progressive step, Paris 2024 will be the first time that men will be allowed to compete in the discipline, with a maximum of two men permitted to take part in the team event.
And with Shortman and Thorpe inspiring the younger generations, British Swimming has seen an incredible rise in the number of males taking up the sport, including Team GB’s own European Games medallist Ranjuo Tomblin.
👋 Team GB's first male artistic swimmer!
— Team GB (@TeamGB) June 21, 2023
Ranjuo Tomblin has battled stigmas and stereotypes to get to this point. #EuropeanGames2023 | @BritishSwimming
"Men are now coming into our sport, which is really inspiring," said Thorpe.
"From no one doing the sport to now see them coming in and building their way up is brilliant.
"It's similar to how female's have had to build there way up in sport, in artistic swimming men are now doing that and it's really nice to see."
Olympians inspiring Olympians
If you ask any Team GB athlete, they will tell you that one of the greatest experiences of being at an Olympics is the inspirational people that you are surrounded by every day.
The thrill of watching someone win a gold medal and achieve their dreams is often the spark that an individual needs to flourish and go on to compete themselves.
"Watching anyone from Team GB succeed, like watching Jaz jump her seven meters metres, celebrating others inspires me to do well," said Thorpe.
Shortman added: "It's crazy the adrenaline you feel from someone else's achievement.
"You claim it as your own a little bit when they're part of Team GB."
And for those lucky enough to go to an Olympic Games in the future, you might just find yourself right next to your sporting hero. If not in person, maybe just on the Team GB athlete wall.
A simple case of game recognising game to the highest degree, according to Sawyers.
She said: "Team GB do this giant wall in the Olympic Village with a photo of every member of the team, so you could find yourself next to someone who you consider your Olympic hero. You just think 'I'm a part of this'. It really makes it feel special."