Winning gold and breaking a world record at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio has put James Turner in a good position for this years' games, but getting to the top was a challenging journey for the runner.
Turner grew up in Hallidays Point, a small coastal town on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, with his parents and twin sister Hayley.
"From a very young age I loved running," he said.
"It was really good to have someone [my sister] to train with.
"And having a best friend for your whole childhood was pretty good too."
Ms Turner was an exceptional athlete and excelled at school and in her social life.
Turner said it was hard to not feel like the lesser twin growing up alongside her.
"She absolutely excelled in athletics, in swimming, in football … she was always better than me at everything.
"Being very competitive that always got under my bonnet a bit."
Turner also has cerebral palsy, a physical disability that can affect movement, muscle tone and posture.
"When I was younger I did see it [cerebral palsy] as something that limited me," he said.
"It hurt my self-image a bit."
At age five, Turner made a promise to himself that he would be the best in the world at something.
Going for gold
Fast forward to 2016, Turner claimed gold in the 800 metres at the Paralympics in Rio, with a world record-breaking time of 2:02:39.
While he knew it was an incredible achievement, claiming gold was not what Turner expected.
"To be honest it was a really hard time for me," he said.
"When I was young I thought if I was the best in the world at something then I'd feel better about myself.
"I thought I wouldn't be the 'less good' twin.
Turner said winning gold made him realise being "the best" at something was not everything.
"It means a lot [getting a gold medal] but at the end of the day it is just a medal sitting in a box in my cupboard," he said.
Turner says he is thankful for the opportunities winning gold has given him.
"By running and doing athletics I'm able to live a life doing what I love, which is sport," he said.
"And that's what success is for me; being able to live that life."
More medals in sight at Tokyo
This year Turner is competing in the 400m run and 100m sprint at the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo.
"It was literally the first session back after Rio," he said.
"They [my trainers] said, 'OK, they've cut the 800 metres. We're going to focus on shorter stuff.'"
While it's been a difficult journey changing disciplines, Turner is confident he will perform well.
"It has been a big change from the 800m," he said.
"But training has been really good, I'm running well, I'm feeling really good."
Turner says he's grateful to be back at the Paralympics to show other people with cerebral palsy they can achieve their goals too.
"Having a disability is pretty much defined as what you cannot do, but competing at the Paralympics is about what you can do," he said.
This year Turner won't be competing in the Paralympics to prove himself but instead to enjoy himself and snag another medal in the process.
Running with cerebral palsy
Turner says cerebral palsy has made it difficult to use his limbs and body effectively.
"It's almost like being constantly drunk," he laughed.
"You become weaker, you're tighter, you are less coordinated.
"I have to concentrate on every step. I can't think of anything else when I'm running."
While having a disability has made certain tasks more challenging for Turner, it's also brought him some incredible experiences.
"It [cerebral palsy] has given me some fantastic opportunities," he said.
Turner will compete in the 400m final on Tuesday at 12:20pm EST.
His 100m heat is on Friday at 9.27pm and if he is successful he will compete in the 100m final on Saturday at 11:38 am.
