The 74-year-old is renowned as a world-class coach, journalist, commentator, screenwriter and best-selling author.

His coaching credentials include roles with the British Olympic bobsleigh team, England's 1992 Rugby World Cup silver medal-winning squad as well as being a driving force behind a number of Olympic athletes.

He also wrote the best-selling Flanagan's Run and was technical director for the Academy Award-winning film Chariots of Fire.

But for the past month Tom has spent two evenings a week at Jarman Park, passing on his expertise to the borough's finest young athletes at Dacorum and Tring AC. He will be there until early September.

"I've known the club for around 30 years," Tom said. "They are the first club in the whole of the county to ask me along to help them.

"If you keep doing what you are doing you only get what you have always got. They are trying to change the way they do things by bringing me in and most clubs wouldn't do that. They have ambition."

During his spell in Hemel Hempstead, Tom, who lives in St Albans, is spending time with athletes of different disciplines, and is impressed with what he's seen so far.

But could some of the youngsters be making their name on the Olympic stage in the future?

"Why not," he added. "There are some talented athletes there but it's a bit far off to be thinking about that now.

"The main thing for them at the moment is to experience as many events as possible and to enjoy themselves."

Director of coaching Peter Morris is delighted with the impact Tom has had on the club: "He's really helped," Peter said. "He's very innovative and has introduced new ways of doing things.

"He's helped us improve in all areas. We are learning new things about coaching and the presence of an Olympic coach has really stimulated the kids.

"We are very happy to have him."

Tom's association with the club began when The English Athletics Eastern Region invited them to suggest new ways to improve training, and they came up with the idea of taking on Tom.

"We wanted to improve our coaches' knowledge and the athletes' performance and that has certainly happened," Peter added.

"The kids are achieving more and more PBs at the moment and recently won five medals at English Schools , which is more than ever.

"In the long term this is really going to help us build a solid structure at the club."