Two-time national Men’s Singles champion Tom Jarvis is straightforward when he sets his sights on this year’s tournament.

“Three times sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? I’ll be going for that,” he says, before admitting: “I’m sure some of the other lads will have something to say about it.”

Getting the title back at the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships is just one of the many things Tom covers in his wide-ranging interview in our Time Out series – out now on the Table Tennis England YouTube channel.

Tom discusses his early days of training with Gavin Evans and Hong Hong Peebles, the influence of his parents and grandparents on his career and much more, including his move to Sweden aged 16 and his friendship with US athlete Kanak Jha.

“It was obviously quite a shock moving to Sweden,” he says. “I’d never done anything without my parents, I’d never cooked – that bit was quite hard. But you get used to it. It was good fun and the training was amazing.

“Me and Kanak get on each other’s nerves a lot but we work really good together and he’s helped me a lot to get where I am. He’s my best friend in table tennis.”

Watch the film now and get insights into Tom’s life including the repetitive nature of daily training, his Olympic Games ambitions, the origin of his distinctive serve – and why he calls himself “a little nerd”!