With less than 12 months till the Olympic and Paralympic Games, athletes are gearing up for a tough road ahead, as they take their training to the next level.
After having to miss the Tokyo Games for family reasons, three-time Paralympic gold medalist Cameron Leslie has high expectations for himself in Paris and is hoping to impress some of the new faces, who will be watching him in the stands for the very first time.
Leslie has been in fine form over the last year, earning a nomination for the prestigious Laureus Sports Awards.
He was named a finalist in the Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability category, after winning gold and three silver medals at the world para-swimming championships, setting a world-best time in the men's 50m freestyle S4.
The gold-medal winner from the Beijing, London, and Rio Paralympics has also been prominent outside competition, working for Swimming New Zealand as disability and para-swimming manager.
But this time around, Leslie will have three new and very special sources of inspiration when he takes to the blocks in France.
"Having a disabled dad isn't always going to be cool or fun, so for them to be able to see dad in a different way... that means a lot to me," Leslie told Newshub.
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