34-year-old Jason Smyth from Derry is known as the world’s fastest Paralympian. The visually impaired sprinter, who was diagnosed with Stargardt disease when he was eight, claimed his seventh world title in 2017. He has won eight World and six European Championship titles, along with having five gold Paralympics medals to his name in three different Games. He continues his unbeaten run in world-class para-athletics for over a decade. Jason holds World records in the 100m and 200m events and when he is preparing for Tokyo, he only sees gold. It’s not just his training and mentality which has kept him going, as his wife and two little girls are always by his side cheering him on.

The Irish Paralympian swimmer Ellen Keane is going for gold this summer. Ellen, whose first Paralympics was in 2008 in Beijing when she was just 13 years old becoming the youngest Irish athlete to compete at a Paralympic Games, was born without her left arm below the elbow. She has been representing Ireland in para-swimming events across the world as an amputee since she was seven years old. Ellen has previously brought home a bronze medal for the 100-metre breaststroke in the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.

A native of Portarlington and one of the youngest members on the Paralympic swimming squad, Nicole Turner has already had a very successful year. The 19-year-old won four medals at the European Championships in Madeira in May 2021 - two silver and two bronze. Nicole previously competed in five events at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. She was chosen to be the flag bearer for Ireland at the closing ceremony and she was then nominated for both the RTÉ Sport Awards 2019 Sportsperson of the Year and named in the Young Sportspersons category. All before she hit 18. Nicole was born with hypochondroplasia, making her of short stature and began swimming in 2007.

Patrick Monahan from Kildare has been referred to as Ireland’s fastest-ever marathon wheelchair racer, having become a multi-Dublin City Marathon champion over the last few years. Chasing time is what drives Patrick and seeing how fast he can push himself. A previous apprentice plumber and GAA player, Patrick was just 21 years old when a car accident left him with life-changing spinal cord injuries and in a wheelchair. He is proof that, with a little bit of perseverance, and stepping outside of your comfort zone, you can come a long way. Patrick began wheelchair racing in 2013 and within just three years of competing, he qualified for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where he finished 16th in the T54 marathon event.