Video: Dead Man Cycling. "If this guy doesn't inspire you, then nobody ever will"

David Smith, MBE, who won a Gold Medal at the London 2012 paralymics for rowing, is now on the road to Rio 2016.

However, his journey, documented on the BBC's Dead Man Cycling, has been one of a series of struggles with his health, which he has overcome with inspirational strength.

Smith was born with a condition known as club foot, with both feet facing backwards. The process of realignment involved repeated breaking and resetting of his bones, and wearing special plaster cast boots, and he almost had the right foot amputated.

With an early passion for sport Smith represented Britain at karate for six years as a youth, before moving to athletics with dreams of going to the Olympics. When his foot wouldn't withstand this, - he broke a major bone - Smith moved, via bobsledding, to Paralympic rowing, which he excelled in.

It was then the pains in his neck became acute, until his performance suffered.

"I had a tumour inside me the size of a tennis ball," says Smith.

After surgery into his spinal cord, which removed three vertebrae, Smith developed a blood clot and was rushed into hospital again, spending a month in hospital learning to walk again.

Smith moved to road cycling, which didn't place so much stress on the neck, and throughout his recovery he was first visualising training, before moving to the turbo, his challenge to cycle up Mont Ventoux within six months of surgery.

Now hoping to compete in Rio 2016 with Team GB, the documentary of Smith's incredible strength and determination during his recovery, and in the face of astonishing adversity, are an inspiration.