philip hindes's video: David Smith MBE Fighting Cancer Paralysis and making Tokyo 2012 Paralympic Champion

In this week’s episode, Olympic cyclists Callum Skinner and Philip Hindes sit down with David Smith to hear about his journey in the world of sport and the devastating health issues he’s fought along the way. Battling cancer, overcoming multiple surgeries and dealing with severe paralysis; describing Smith as an ‘inspiration’ doesn’t quite cut it. He shares his incredible story on PodCrash… “If you’re aware of death, does it make you live your life differently today?” - David Smith MBE We kick off the convo with an overview of Smith’s journey into able bodied athletics and his transition into the Paralympic team. Despite scooping a gold medal at London’s 2012 Paralympic Games for rowing, a string of injuries saw him segue into the GB cycling squad. We discuss the evolving perception of paralympic sports, how the London Olympics changed the game and his ideas for pushing the paralympics forward. Smith then relays how he was first diagnosed with a spinal tumour and the surgeries that followed to save his life. After the third agonising operation, he awoke to find one half of his body completely paralysed and Smith undertook the battle of a lifetime to learn to stand, walk and eventually cycle again. Now diagnosed with cancer for the 4th time, this unstoppable olympic champion refuses to let it hold him back - or slow him down. “I’m living these two lives and it’s like flipping a coin; if it lands heads, I'm alive. If it lands tails I could be facing more surgery. So everyday I’m trying to live the best life.” - David Smith With such extreme highs and lows punctuating his career and health, Smith’s story puts everything into perspective. We talk about what’s going on in his life now, his plans for the future, his passion for Barbados and living life to its fullest. Tune in; this one’s unmissable. Show us the love by subscribing, rating and reviewing PodCrash. You can also watch all of our cycling podcasts on our YouTube channel. Follow us at: @PodCrashPod on Twitter @PodCrashPod on Instagram @PodCrashPod on YouTube @PodCrashPod on Facebook