Steve Backley was one of the iconic figures of British and world athletics at the turn of the Millennium - but what has he been doing with his time since?

Javelin star Backley is arguably one of the greatest athletes to never win an Olympic or World Championship gold medal. He held the world record on several occasions, won two silvers apiece at Olympic and World Championships, and was a household name during a 15-year career that ended with a surprise fourth place at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The only British track and field athlete to win medals at three different Olympics, Backley could well have been one of the all-time greats were it not for one man – the undisputed best-ever and his main rival, Jan Zelezny.

The duo traded world records almost at will but the Czech had the edge, winning three Olympic and world titles while his British rival usually placed second.

It was an accident of birth-date that the pair would feature alongside each other for most of their careers, but arguably the rivalry brought out the best in two men for whom determination to overcome the odds was a normal personality trait.

Now 43, Backley’s later career was blighted by injuries, making his late surge to the medals in 2004 even more surprising, but he is now using his experience of sport and self-motivation to help others improve their working lives and businesses.

I’ll let the man himself explain...

"Today we’re at Millbank (in London) enjoying the launch of a few short films which are a link between sports and the BMW performance brand, the ties between athletes and motoring. All very stylish, I am reliably informed!

"I do a few events a year as part of the BMW London 2012 Performance Team, one of which included chucking spears off the top tier of Wembley, which was a surreal experience.

"But I don’t just work with BMW - my role in this comes from what I do with my time these days. Since retiring I’ve gone into partnership with (British former 400 metres star) Roger Black and we work in the performance arena.

"We do a lot of motivational speaking, workshops and consultancy around the field of performance - not just in sports but in the workplace.

"We take the processes we used to achieve excellence in our athletics careers and translate them into processes that improve performance in life and work. We help develop the soft skills that are relevant both to sports and the workplace.

"It’s mostly just the two of us and a business coach, but we pull in some of our Olympian colleagues sometimes. Motivation, organisation, preparation, teamwork - all of these things can help make changes to your business."

Backley does not just work with businesses – it is good to know that, in an Olympic year, he is passing on some of his knowledge to Britain’s athletes.

"I work with a couple of the athletes with their personal planning and personal missions - it’s tough having the time to do it, to have enough time to have a genuine impact, so I limit it to a couple of athletes at a time to get the maximum from them," he continued.

"Hopefully it will help make a difference - the credit won’t be mine but we want to help people optimise performance and do themselves justice."

Backley’s recognisable profile and his outgoing personality make him a prime candidate for television work.

Some of you may remember Backley’s 'performance' on TV show Dancing on Ice. While he enjoyed the challenge, there are no plans to return to the screen in that capacity.

"I did the Dancing on Ice debacle a few years back," he jokes. "I don’t really watch those sorts of things and I wish I had watched it beforehand – it was a lot tougher than I thought it would be!

"You never know, I could do something similar in the future, but I don’t wake up every day wanting to go on Strictly or I’m a Celebrity!

"And anyway, I like to think that working within the performance industry is my new life. I think it’s more important to work, to make a difference.

"We have high hopes for our athletes at the Olympics but it’s tough to tip any of the younger ones as, aside from the known quantities, a lot depends on how they respond to the pressure on the day.

"Preparation wise our guys have got everything spot-on. But it’s about executing the play in the Olympic Stadium - can you avoid getting caught like a rabbit in the headlights? Can you block everything out that is not in your circle of concern? Of course your success depends on what your rivals do or don’t do, but you have no control over that.

"Focus on yourself, and on how to do yourself justice, and don’t get caught up in an opponent’s journey. If you can’t change it, ignore it. That’s the biggest challenge."

Steve Backley was speaking at the launch of BMW Presents, a series of short films that celebrate the BMW London 2012 Performance Team and explore Ultimate Performance. To view the films, visit www.youtube.com/bmwuk

Reda Maher - @Reda_Eurosport / Eurosport