Bookworm Jess Stretton will be following her tried and tested routine once again ahead of bidding to write her name into the Tokyo history books.

Hemel Hempstead ace Stretton, 21, was one of the four para-archers officially named in the ParalympicsGB squad for the showpiece event in Japan later this year, having stormed to success in the W1 discipline in Brazil five years ago.

That victory in Rio saw her become the youngest ever British archer to claim a medal in the event – also being awarded an MBE for her achievements a year later and joining an illustrious list of athletes who have contributed to winning 864 Olympic and Paralympic medals for Great Britain and Northern Ireland since the advent of National Lottery funding in 1997.

And after making the move to the compound open category, a whole new challenge awaits Stretton in the coming months, although she will be keeping herself engrossed with a page-turner to help ensure her nerves reman intact.

“I’m a little bit overwhelmed, a little panicked, but very happy. It’s a mix of feeling but I’m definitely excited,” Stretton said after her selection, which was officially announced in late April.

“It’s definitely one of those times where you’re nervous because you’ve been before and you’ve got expectations of yourself, but it’s all new at the same time.

“It’s new sort of jitters because I don’t know what to expect in a new country with different people, so it’s definitely a mix of nerves and excitement.

“I try not to think about it too much to be honest, because if I do I end up putting loads and loads of pressure on myself and end up shaking and it impacts my shooting.

“I usually end up sticking my head in a book and pretending everything’s fine, and focus on myself and my shooting and everything should be okay.”

After a year of ifs, buts and maybes, athletes can now prepare themselves for the pinnacle of the sporting world, with the Tokyo Paralympics scheduled for late August this year.

And it marks a completely new challenge for Stretton, who went into Rio with no expectations at such a young age, but now the target is firmly on her back – despite the change of discipline – after storming to success last time out.

But being one of the 1,100 National Lottery-funded elite athletes on UK Sport’s World Class Programme, she has been able to train full time and benefit from pioneering technology, science and medical support in her quest for more medals this time around.

The compound open event will see a much larger field taking part in Japan and more competition for those all-important podium places, although the Hertfordshire star knows she has set the bar high for herself with her previous accolades.

“I went out to Rio and I was told all the way in the lead up that Tokyo was really the main goal and that would be my year, so I thought I’d just go out there and get experience,” she said.

“I didn’t expect anything going in, I’d shoot my best and probably be knocked out first round, but when it turned up that I won I was so overwhelmed – I didn’t know how to cope with that.

“The feeling of sheer disbelief when my coach turned to me and she was crying - I didn’t understand for a minute - and then it was a feeling of ‘have I really just done that?’

“In a way, I’m going with a clean slate, but in a way I’m going in with the knowledge that I won the last one, so can I do the same again?”

No one does more to support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes than National Lottery players, who raise around £30 million each week for good causes. Discover the positive impact playing the National Lottery has on sport at www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk and get involved by using the hashtags: #TNLAthletes #TracktoTokyo