Simon Lawson never thought he would get the chance to compete in a Paralympic Games and represent his country when he suffered the injury that left him paralysed over 15 years ago.

Lawson, a former British motocross championship rider, was involved in a motorbike accident, which left paralysed from the chest down after he sustained serious injuries in a crash while practising in July 2001.

The 34-year-old from Maryport didn’t turn to athletics until 2010 – but now, six years on, will get the opportunity to travel to Rio tomorrow morning and represent ParalympicsGB.

“I have come a long way really, from racing in motocross as a kid, getting paralysed at 19 and then just kind of getting into wheelchair racing just through keeping fit and stuff like that,” he says.

“I have progressed into different races and now I’m heading out to Rio.”

It took Lawson, who has become a familiar sight on the roads around his family’s home in Maryport and trains regularly at the Sands Centre in Carlisle, almost a decade after his accident to start seriously training as an athlete.

He explains: “I didn’t really know about it [wheelchair racing] when I had my accident.

“I actually saw a bit of the Beijing Paralympics in 2008 and thought ‘I can do something like that’, so that is when I started training. And a few years later, I got into racing and it went from there.”

The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games got under way on Wednesday. Lawson, whose mum will also be in Brazil during the Paralympics, will fly out to Rio tomorrow.

Illness prevented Lawson from competing in the London 2012 Paralympics but the marathon man believes he is better prepared this time around, than he would have been for the Games in 2012.

And Lawson feels his preparations have been going well so far after competing in his final event before the trip to Rio – a 10k in Middlesbrough last weekend – before he jets out to acclimatise, ahead of the race.

He adds: “My preparations have been good. Yeah, going really well. I did a race last week. I was a lot quicker than when I did it last year.

“I’m up on last year, so that’s good.”

Lawson believes he has a chance of winning a medal as he aims for glory in Rio. The marathon man has already studied the course he will race on in the marathon on September 18 – the final day of the Games.

He says: “If anything, it should suit me pretty well. The course is a looped course. It is five laps of just over five miles. It is right on the Copacabana beach. It is similar to here in the UK, just a bit warmer!”

Despite all the hype surrounding the build-up , Lawson is trying to just treat it like any other race.

He says: “I’m trying to block it out a little. Everyone is asking ‘are you excited, are you excited’ but I’m just trying to picture it as any other race.

“I know it is more special really and I think, when I get to the village, I will probably realise it is a bit more than just a race.”

Last month’s Olympics was something Lawson watched keenly.

“I enjoyed the Olympics,” he says. “I enjoyed all the cycling. It was hard turning it off at night, though. You are watching and don’t want to be missing the finals, so you can’t turn it off can you?”

The Maryport Paralympic medal hopeful has been known to train at the Sheepmount Stadium in Carlisle. He also works at Jack Horseman Motorcycles in Carlisle and so is familiar with local Olympians Nick Miller and Tom Farrell.

“It was nice to watch them compete in the Olympics,” the hugely popular athlete adds. “People that you know of and people that are hopefuls. I kind of thought ‘it is not long before it is my go’ when I was watching. It was good to see local people there.”

Lawson will come up against six-time Olympic gold medallist, and ParalympicsGB team mate, David Weir in the marathon. But, despite the two being rivals on the road, the 34-year-old gets on well with both Weir and his coach Jenny Archer off the track.

“Obviously, we are racing against each other and travelling to the same places and things like that.

“He is helpful, as well. He will give me tips and stuff like that.

“It is nice to have somebody there, as well, to help. He is a household name now after London. He is a nice friend to have.”

Lawson has found all the support he has been receiving “overwhelming” and Tweeted on Wednesday night to thank everyone for the support they have given him.

Lawson is coached by Ian Thompson, who trained and is married to, legendary Paralympic athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson. The marathon will start at 4.30pm (UK time) on , Sunday September 18. This is the 34-year-old’s first Paralympic Games.