Superhero Sunday: Jason Smyth

The world’s fastest Paralympian gives an insight into his heroes as part of a new IPC Athletics series for the 2015 season 15 Feb 2015 By IPC

We all have our idols - people we look up to, admire, and who inspire us. But who are the heroes’ heroes? Each week throughout the IPC Athletics season we are asking our 2015 Ones to Watch athletes to name the three figures that have inspired them.

We kick off SUPERHERO SUNDAY with double world and Paralympic champion Jason Smyth. The Irishman - dubbed the world’s fastest Paralympian, has no fewer than four Paralympic and four world titles to his name in the T13 sprints.

The 27-year-old added 100m and 200m T12 European victory to his ever-growing list of achievements in Swansea, Great Britain last year and will be the man to beat come October’s IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Here are Jason’s heroes:

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool footballer)

He is a great leader. He is able to inspire those around him to be better.

My parents

They have taught me the need to work hard and to never give up in anything I do.

Stephen Hawking (Theoretical physicist and cosmologist)

He has gone beyond what others see as his limit to show that anything is possible.

Ireland’s Jason Smyth is set to be one of 1,300 athletes from 90 countries who compete at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships which take place in Doha, Qatar, between 22-31 October.