James Westgate finds out all there is to know about a star in the making.

Update: August 17, 1.10pm: Louis Smith wins bronze
More on Louis Smith:
Date with destiny for Louis
Smith will re-write the history books if he takes gold
Factfile: Louis Smith
ET's Olympic update
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AS a child it would have been all too easy to write off gym star Louis Smith as just another overactive kid with dreams beyond his station.

One of two children bought up in a humble single parent household on the outskirts of Peterborough, a decade ago the young tyro's ambition to one day compete at the Olympics looked a far from likely prospect.

In fact at the age of seven or eight, Peterborough's very own Commonwealth champion's other burning desire to one day be crowned King Louis of Jamaica looked a more likely bet.

Struggling to concentrate at school due to the then little known effects of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Britain's finest gymnast in a century could quite easily have slipped through the net.

At times difficult to handle in the classroom with his whizz bang approach to learning, teachers at Werrington Primary would often find their efforts to channel young Smith's obvious talents running into a succession of brick walls.

"I remember Louis as a very intelligent young boy who wanted to be into everything all the time - he just seemed to have so much energy," said former teacher at Werrington Clive Moody.

"Even at that age he had a real flair for sports of any kind, he would show us gymnastics moves he picked up off his brother and even then it was clear he had a lot of talent. His boundless energy did at times make him a handful in the classroom but there was never anything negative about Louis, he was just so full of beans."

Bright and articulate when he wanted to be, frustrations inevitably began to grow on both sides but one thing was fast becaming crystal clear.

The lad known by his many friends as Loopy Lou needed something big to sink his teeth into - a conduit to channel all that boundless energy.

And so it was that his ever-resourceful mum Elaine bundled her youngest son into the car and down to Hunts Gym Club where Louis' older brother Leon had recently become a member.

Smith remembers the day well: "I always had a lot of energy then when I saw my brother doing back flips I thought straight away that I wanted to do the same.

"Before mum had even taken me down there I had all but worn out the springs in her bed trying to do somersaults and when I finally got into that gym I was just in my element.

"All the equipment and people flying around in all directions seemed just my kind of place, it was full of action and I loved it straight away.