A teenager has helped pen the official Olympic poem.

Catherine Labiran, who has just finished her A-Levels at St Dominics College in Mount Park Avenue, Harrow-on-the-Hill, won the National Lottery's 12 Poets of 2012 Competition, in April.

The 18-year-old met up with the other 11 winners from across the country in Birmingham to compile the poem, called Breathe, which was released today.

Catherine, who is also an aspiring dancer, said the experience was "simply amazing" and added: "We were such a diverse group of people of all different ages, with different writing styles and personalities.

"None of us had ever met, but we all worked together and got on very well. We spent two days writing the poem, making sure that all of us got their input. Even though we were all very different, poetry is the one thing binding us together so that was great."

She beat thousands of other applicants for a chance to compile the poem by sending a sample of her writing to the National Lottery on a "whim".

The keen athlete added: "It was the most invaluable opportunity of my life and I am very proud of the completed poem.

"When everyone from athletes to spectators get to the park, I think they are going to be very inspired by the poem."

Miss Labiran's big win also meant that she won the chance to meet a sporting idol, long jumping champion Chris Tomlinson in April.

Breathe The Official 2012 Poem

From starting gun to finish line,
electric nerves before you dive,
you are the minute hand on the clock,
you are the doubt,
the second thoughts -
breathe.

You are the perfect parabola
of each envisioned leap,
the interlinking rings,
the ligaments, elastic lungs
Believe -

believe in the red-haired girl
with gold on her mind
one kiss chase and kicking leaves,
now a flame breathing to ignite another
Become

full of chance as the National Lottery,
become the ones who reaches
deep inside for sky,
fights gravity like paper planes
and breathes.