David was born with club foot and spent the early years of his life undergoing multiple surgeries and learning to walk in special boots and plaster casts. After pursuing able bodied sports at international level, including karate, bobsleigh and athletics, he found himself on the UK paralympic rowing squad. In 2010, after some hiccups in training, he underwent routine tests including an MRI scan of his spine, that ultimately led to the discovery of a tumour which was crushing his spinal cord and required emergency, life threatening spinal surgery.. Less than 2 years after his first surgery he won gold in the mixed coxed four in the paralympic games. He then moved onto the GB para-cycling programme, with the aspiration of racing in Rio. However, in 2014, his tumour came back and since then he has undergone a further 5 enormous operations. His operation in 2016 left him paralysed. David is someone who has to live both with a spinal cord injury and the fear of his tumour progressing yet he is someone who LIVES in the true sense of the word.