Imagine a promising sportsman 14 year old, full of life, enjoying the colorful spectrum of sunset while returning home after playing a good game of cricket and could have thought of similar plans for the next day. However, destiny was planning something different for him. He was to be an inspiration for rest of the world due to his extraordinary courage and determination. Millions would look to him and be motivated. When the next morning came, his life had taken him on an entirely different path then what he had imagined. The next day, the morning sun did not greet him and darkness of night held his hand for the rest of life. This massive emotional shock of unexpectedly losing his sight did not stop him from achieving his goals. With his relentless hard work and incredible effort, he became a Britain’s most successful Paralympic swimmer. He was also appointed to the House of Lords in 2013 as the Lord Holmes of Richmond. Lord Holmes has also worked as a Director of Paralympic Integration for London 2012. Lord Holmes is a supporter and patron of several charities including Duke of Edinburgh Awards, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.

You are Britain’s most successful Paralympic swimmer. What kind of challenges did you face as a swimmer?C: Getting up at 4.30 every day to train, doing 5hrs a day in the pool, hard work then the focus and the pressure of the race. Having to put all of those thousands of hours of training and millions of metres into a 50 m or 100m race which were over in under a minute.

What emotions did you experience from your unexpected loss of sight at a young age? What motivated you to become a swimmer? What is the best thing you love about swimming?C: A massive emotional shock, unexpected, needed to be strong to get through and try and achieve my goals, not least in swimming. Best thing about swimming is the freedom, the time to think, to focus to become at one with the water.

Which job is tougher, parliamentary work at the House of Lords or as a Director of Paralympic Integration and why? What kind of challenges did you face in the respective responsibilities?C: Both very different. Massive amount of work in both, in London 2012 the pressure to put on the best Paralympic Games ever, huge amounts of decisions, teams to lead, revenue to raise, always with the athletes at the heart of everything we did. At Parliament, pressure again, to try and make the legislation as good as it possibly can be, to get involved and to make change happen, for example in the work with shared space and also in getting the Premier League to accept their responsibilities under the accessible stadia guide.

You have received plenty of awards and recognition. Which award is closest to you heart and why?C: Being nominated for a life Peerage from the Prime Minister. It represents everything I’ve been able to achieve and for all the people who have helped me along the way.

Who is your favorite sportsperson?C: Steve Redgrave, unrivalled achievement.

What are your other hobbies?C: Reading, love modern and classic fiction, films, favorite is From Here to Eternity, sport.

What is your favorite place to visit? What do you like about that place?C: Kew gardens, tranquil, relaxing, different every single day.

Who is your favorite world leader and which of his/her qualities inspires you the most?C: Don’t have a favorite at the moment, Winston Churchill is all time great for standing firm in the face of fascism.

How can sports play an important role in the lives of special children?C: Sport has the power to switch on the light of possibility, to enable people to feel what they are capable of, to enable all the skills most important for a successful and happy life of self belief, self worth, self discipline and self respect.

Any special message for our community?C: Believe, you can achieve whatever you wish, believe it and don’t let anyone say you can’t.