IT MAY be 500 days until the Paralympic Games from this Sunday, but Portland’s Megan Pascoe has her sights firmly fixed on the next two months.

Despite her triumphant return to the borough with a World Cup bronze medal from the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma, Majorca, the 24-year-old is taking each day ‘a step at a time.’ Megan, of Fortuneswell, said: “I can’t really look to 2012, I have to look to qualify.

“I’m trying to do it one step at a time and for me it’s the next two months that count.

“I was happy with bronze at Palma, we had quite a small fleet out there as we were missing a couple of the big guys.

“But it was nice to be consistent for once and come back with a medal.

“It’s always nice to come top Brit and to podium at this stage of the year when there’s still time to improve before Sail for Gold.”

With the 500-day countdown looming, Megan said the pressure was ‘definitely on for this year to qualify to represent Great Britain’ in 2012.

The International 2.4-metre keelboat sailor has a tough fight ahead to out-perform her Skandia Team GBR team-mate Helena Lucas, who finished seventh at the 2008 Games.

Megan said: “There’s a lot of rivalry because it’s getting to that stage of the year when decisions will be made about who makes the team.”

“The most publicised is Ben (Ainslie) and Giles (Scott) but Giles is still very young and hopefully he can put on a good fight at the trials, there’s two or three other guys in the Finns who could take on Ben too.

“In the 49er class there’s four or five boats that could get that place, you wouldn’t put money on it.

“It’s almost like the Worlds are harder events to win because there’s more of the top boats there.

“Having a lot of talent in the UK really does help because you know the one boat that does go will be the best and will have worked very hard to get that spot.”

Megan, who was born with cerebral palsy and has a loss of control down her right side, began sailing aged two and competed in the ‘able-bodied’ Optimist dinghy before switching to Paralympic sailing.

She thrives on competing on the level playing field that the ‘amazing’ 2.4 boat provides and is trying out new ideas with her new coach Rob Wilson to ‘slowly move forwards.’ Megan will leave for Hyeres, France, on Monday for training.

Follow her blog at www.dorsetecho.co.uk/sport/afloat