Mark Wood understands what it takes to prepare yourself for career-defining sporting events - and the thrill of competing. The former windsurfing champion and Crew Clothing ambassador is gearing up for the 2012 London Olympics, and while he won't be going for gold, he will be playing an important role in the sailing events being held at the Weymouth Bay venue in Dorset.

Mark, Commodore of Hayling Island Sailing Club (HISC), is a National Technical Officer in the 2012 Weymouth Race Management Team for the Olympics. HISC was approached by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to get a race team together to manage sailing at the Olympics and Paralympics.

Mark first discovered his love of the water 30 years ago, at the age of 16. He quickly developed a particular passion for windsurfing, and it wasn't long before he was winning competitions, including the 1986 world championships in the south of France. 'That was back in the good old days, when you got paid to do what you love. I was around when the sport was developing and it became quite trendy in the mid-1980s. I even lived in Hawaii and the Canary Islands for a while. Then I got fat and old,' he says. 'Well, not that fat.'

Later he decided to get into dinghy sailing, and nowadays he races for fun in the Flying Fifteen dinghy class. 'I've finished in the top 10 of their national championships twice. The Flying Fifteens can be really exciting out on the sea.'

Mark has two children under the age of 10, and it's no surprise that he's already taking them out on the water. 'When you have kids, you want to put something back into the sport. You want your kids to experience it, to give them the opportunity to get into it.'

Mark still spends as much time as he can out on the water. 'I race most weekends if I'm not doing race management,' says Mark. 'I tend to race one day and get the kids on the water the other day.'

With the Olympics just months away, Mark and the rest of the 30-strong race management team know that the pressures and responsibilities are going to intensify - and they also know they won't receive any of the glory for the work they do. So is it worth it? 'We're not doing this for five minutes of fame - we're doing it to say that we have been a part of the Olympics and have put something back into the sport.'

When the Games get underway, Mark will be involved in all aspects of organising races, from setting the courses to choosing the start times, and deciding if the weather conditions are suitable for the events to go ahead. He will also be in the main start boat, helping to make sure none of the competitors get an unfair advantage.

'The racing is really tense stuff, and it can be very hard to focus, so I have to really concentrate. And if a boat starts too soon I have to disqualify them. They respect us and our role, and they have to pay the consequences if they get it wrong.'

So when you're applauding the sailing medallists in this year's Olympics, don't forget unsung heroes like Mark and his team, who helped make it all happen.