American sprinter Ryan Bailey struggles to believe he'll be competing at the London Olympics after admitting he could just as easily be dead or in jail.

Former gang member Bailey has been stabbed three times, kicked out of school and spent time living out of a car with his mother.

'It just seems so unbelievable I'm here,' said the 23-year-old, who will compete in Monaco on Friday before arriving at the US training camp in Birmingham.

Life in the fast lane: Ryan Bailey and Tyson Gay will be running for the United States in London

'I sit back and think, "Wow, I could be like a couple of my friends - in jail or dead. I could be right there with them. But I'm not.'

Bailey finished third at the US Olympic trials last month behind Justin Gatlin, who was back after a doping ban, and Tyson Gay, back to his best with a surgically-enhanced hip.

Bailey has an interesting story of his own. It was while growing up in Oregon that he spent time living in a white Suzuki Esteem with his mother Debra Galban. Debra's fibromyalgia and degenerative arthritis made it difficult for her to work and Ryan's father was not around.

They kept their belongings in the back of the car although Debra rarely let an Olympic coin she found out of her sight.

Bailey revealed: 'She said all the time, "You're going to be there one day". She always believed that.'

Work to do: Bailey was second to Tyson Gay at Crystal Palace last week

To fulfil his dream, Bailey had to change his lifestyle. He was stabbed in the back and shoulder by a rival gang member in 2006 while trying to walk away from an argument and spent time in hospital, lucky that the knife missed his vital organs.

Bailey was a bright kid but an attention deficit disorder held him back at Douglas McKay High School in Salem.

He was expelled in his junior year but recognised sport could help him get back on the right road.

Bailey had to escape the gang culture first and the beating he took to get out was worse than the one he suffered as his initiation.

He was beaten so badly he had cuts over both eyes and his face was covered in blood.

He trudged home and there, waiting for him, was Debra. They hugged and cried because he was now free to start a new chapter, one that included buckling down in the classroom.

Tall order: Bailey is head and shoulders above most sprinters - but not Usain Bolt

He received the turnaround student of the year award for the district in his senior year.

'To me, that award was a pretty big deal,' said Bailey.

At 6ft 4in, Bailey was a natural on the football field and didn't discover athletics until later in his schooling when coach John Parks, who would become a father figure, caught him staring at the record boards, boasting how he could beat the times posted there.

Parks called Bailey out.

'He told me "if you're so bad, come out and join the team". I was like, "yeah, whatever. I'll be there sometime."

'I said that so he would leave me alone.'

Blazing the trail: Double world record holder Bolt stands well over 6ft

Parks refused to give up and finally got Bailey on the team with a vision of him becoming a decathlete.

But Usain Bolt burst on to the scene - a tall sprinter was not a common sight before the Jamaican - and things changed for Bailey.

It was a slow start - he broke his toe wearing spikes that were too small - but he made it to Rend Lake College in Illinois, winning a junior-college title in the 100m in 2009.

And here he is. A long, long road has taken him to the shortest race at London 2012.