WHEN Amy Wilson Hardy left the field in tears this week she was distraught that her Olympic dream had ended without a medal.

But all great champions need to go through the heartache to become successful and the 24-year-old from Angmering is destined for great things.

Those were the words from Sally Gunnel and she should know, she overcame huge disappointment to win Gold in the 400m hurdles.

"I had a Europeans where I was favourite to win and I was ahead of everybody and I ended up about sixth and everything went wrong.

"You don't realise at the time when it happens, what you learn from that. You think you know it all and you think 'where am I going to improve?'. 'How do I do that?' You go on to the next level.

"It makes you really value what you do. When something like that happens you realise you really want it and everything you're capable of doing.

"It makes you sit back and analyse and work out how tiny little things can make such a big difference.

"If I had not been through that situation I would not be the person that succeeds.

"It comes as part of the territory. Give it another four years and the ladies' Rugby Sevens team will come back stronger."

The tears from Amy Wilson Hardy prove that she is a true winner and achiever, Sally, who lives in Steyning, said.

"When she was upset after losing that's what you want to see really because it means so much.

"People can get to the Games and get to a final and that's fine. In something like an Olympic Games so much of it is that will to win and that preparation.

"Physically there's not a lot of difference it's how people are prepared. What she was showing is that it really means a lot to her. That would've hurt big time and that's what drives you on.

"It's the first time they've done something like that but in four years' time if they have the Rugby again I think it will really make them really hungry."

And Sally said we can all takes lessons from these Olympics into our own lives.

"You can't be an Olympic champion or be successful at whatever you excel at unless you've had that difficulty.

"It's the same at succeeding at whatever you are trying to do in life.

"Whether it's business or your personal life. You've got to have that will to succeed which is what a lot of people do.

"It's about how you create a winning format. It's not just putting in the training and the sacrifice."

The 50-year-old has been enjoying the games in Rio so far.

She has heard that Brighton's Charlie Grice is preparing well before competing in the 1,500m. She should know as her husband Jonathan Bigg is his coach.

She said: "The Olympics in Rio has been great. I've really been trying to keep up to date with it all as there is so much on.

"I've really been enjoying it. I just love that whole tension and pressure and seeing how people perform.

"I love the athletics but I loved the gymnastics this week. You can fell the tension that they are going through."

She does miss competing but has plenty going on in her life with three children, Finley, Luca and Marley.

"I do miss that tension sometimes and then there are times that I don't. It can be a bit like 'oh gosh' I would not like to be going through all that as it can be so tense'.

"A lot of work and preparation has gone into it and by the time you come to that crucial moment you've been doing it for a few years to get ready for the Olympics.

"When it all comes off and you sit there and that feeling you get when you win. That's the bit that you miss.

"Now with my son Fin running I get really nervous and I think gosh I wonder how my mum ever got through doing this."

Sally said our Olympians have found ways of recovering from difficult spells, citing a tough London 2012 for the swimmers.

"You look at swimming and how well they are doing now," she said.

"They have had to make changes and create a winning culture and look at absolutely everything.

"You can get through to the trial but waiting another two months and coming out and performing, that's been the difference for those guys.

"A lot of that would be through training and mental preparation and creating a winning culture.

"That has really shown.

"The British Cycling team has done that for the last two Olympics. Now others have almost caught up with them and it's "really interesting to see what's happening on the track with these guys.

"But if people don't do as well they might find that they have to step back and re-assess and move on. I think it is really hard to repeat success at the Olympics. After our own games it is tough for them."

Sally has loved seeing the new generation of Olympians and is pleased that advancements mean they can stay at the top for longer.

"We've seen a lot of the younger ones performing which is really great. "They were probably just getting involved in London.

"Sport is changing and you can be out there performing for longer and that's sometimes because of the medical side. You can prevent so many injuries now so you can have a bit more longevity. What Mo Farah?? is doing at that distanc you would have had four years before. If I did it again now I would've probably easily have had another four years and that's due to the medical side. It's a bit like Jessica Ennis-Hill.

"The window is wider than it used to be but sometimes when you've been there and done it it's really hard to keep doing it again.

"It was that huge great fear of failure for me. That's what gets you through."