Fast forward eight years and Gemma is a World Championship gold medallist after smashing the 100m backstroke record in Rome.
And today she will bid to become the first British woman ever to win two gold medals in a single championships.
As Gemma goes for gold again the former Portsmouth High School girl will be cheered on by friends from her old swimming club.
Coaches and members of the Portsmouth Northsea swimming club will be watching TV as the 21-year-old competes in the 200m backstroke tomorrow – although she missed out on the 50m breaststroke finals today.
Graham Wardell, who coached Gemma for Portsmouth Northsea swimming club between 2004 and 2006, said: 'It would be great if she could get another gold medal.
'We are all so proud of what she has done.
'It's down to her determination and her will to win.
'When I started coaching her she had already been to the European Championships so she was always very talented even back then, everyone knew she would go on to great things. We are delighted for her.'
After her historic victory on Tuesday, Gemma dedicated the win to the memory of her mother Lesley, who died of bowel cancer one week before Christmas 2007.
Gemma's father has told The News what a boost it has been to his daughter to know the whole of Portsmouth is right behind her.
Mark Spofforth, 53, who lives in Slindon near Arundel, West Sussex, said: 'After losing her mum 18 months ago it means an awful lot to her having all this support from friends and family but also now having people she doesn't even know supporting her.
'Portsmouth has always been very good to us and I know she appreciates all the support.
'A second gold medal would be amazing. If she managed to get another medal it would be fantastic. She has a much better chance in the 200m because that's her strength.'
Gemma winning Gold and breaking the world record in the 100m backstroke.
Although she honed her skills in the pool at Victoria Swimming Centre in Portsmouth city centre, Gemma first learned how to swim in the pool at the family home in Slindon near Arundel.
Along with her younger brother Peter she joined the Littlehampton swimming club.
Gemma then went on to Bognor Regis swimming club, which is where she was coached up to a national standard, before joining Portsmouth Northsea swimming club at the age of 12.
Mr Spofforth has spoken of the long hours of training his daughter put in at the old Victoria Swimming Centre in Anglesea Road in order to become a world champion.
'Gemma spent about five of six years at Portsmouth and really enjoyed it,' he said.
'Apart from anything else it really taught her how to manage her time. She would get up at 4.30am every day, get to the pool in Portsmouth for about 5.30am and do a couple of hours there before going to school.
'At 3.30pm she would leave Portsmouth High School and go back to the swimming pool for another two to three hours.'
At the age of 18 her promising career stalled when she came down with pancreatitis.
Mr Spofforth said: 'That took her out of the water for six months to a year so she wasn't part of the elite swimmers anymore, so she decided to go to uni.'
After going on the website, berecruited.com, which offers scholarships to American universities, Gemma had to choose between going to university in either Florida or Hawaii.
She picked the University of Florida and flew out to America in 2006 to take up her place in the competitive swim programme there.
Gemma will soon begin her fourth and final year at the university, but is expected to remain across the Atlantic after she graduates as she focuses on getting ready for the Olympics in 2012.
