Johnboy Smith

At the age of 16, Smith was shot in the back by a gamekeeper when walking his dog and paralysed from a spinal injury, in a case of mistaken identity. The gamekeeper thought he was a poacher.

Johnboy had originally starting boxing at two years old, but following his injury and extensive recovery and rehabilitation he took up bodybuilding and powerlifting and inspired by the 2012 Paralympic Games took up javelin before a visit to the David Weir Academy after Rio 2016 inspired him to compete in wheelchair racing.

Following his racing success, he was selection to represent Britain as part of the  Team GB Paralympics team, for the Tokyo Summer Paralympics in 2021 and is a British Marathon record holder, Commonwealth Games Silver and Gold Medalist and the first Romany Paralympic CWG athlete in history.

When questioned about his heritage Johnboystated, “I am so proud to be taking the Romani flag with me to Tokyo and I don’t care who knows it…..when I see (racism) now in sport it saddens me, but, I've  just got to keep going and be proud of where I come from.”