“Giving up is conceding that things will never get better, and that is just not true.”

I’m not an advocate for disability issues. Human issues are what interest me.

At some point in every person’s life, you will need an assisted medical device – whether it’s your glasses, your contacts, or as you age and you have a hip replacement or a knee replacement or a pacemaker. The prosthetic generation is all around us.

I had a paper round and every night I would put the dinner on before Mum came home from work. I was capable because I had to be.

When I’m curious about something, I do it full on and take it as far as I go, but when I feel like I’ve really explored it, I’m OK with putting it aside and going on to something else.

An athlete experiences the emotions of pain and elation through triumph and defeat, through teamwork and individuality, as nothing more than a human being…that is the true glory of sport.

I hate the words ‘handicapped’ and ‘disabled’. They imply that you are less than whole. I don’t see myself that way at all.

The power of the human will to compete and the drive to excel beyond the body’s normal capabilities is most beautifully demonstrated in the arena of sport.

In athletics, the idea of possibility is presumed. It’s not ‘if;’ it’s ‘how.’

I’m not running around as a continual ray of sunshine. It’s just I don’t believe in wasting time feeling sorry for myself. Get over it.

Sure, I’d love to have children some day. But world domination comes first.

I think that everyone has something about themselves that they feel is their weakness… their ‘disability.’

It’s about alleviating stress and controlling breathing. It’s about being balanced.

If we want to discover the full potential in our humanity, we need to celebrate those heartbreaking strengths and those glorious disabilities that we all have.

It’s an objective fact that I am a double amputee, but it’s very subjective opinion as to whether that makes me disabled.

Adversity isn’t an obstacle that we need to get around in order to resume living our life. It’s part of our life.

When I watch Mad Men and I see the patronising attitudes to women that are so shocking for all of us to watch now,

The way to get things out of a government is to back them to the wall, put your hands to their throats, and you will get all they have.

Philosophy gets its ugly head into everything, but I don’t think we live philosophy anymore. It’s done.

And when they don’t get what they want, say, “Okay, sweetheart, yours is coming. Let’s help you get it.” Be there 100% for them.

I came from really humble beginnings – the projects of New York City – and I worked my way to get to where I am.

They only go after what they know they can get.

Just get to know me. Be my friend. Just kick it with me as if I was hanging with a homeboy.

I can only get up and do my chores and push through the day and find the good in it.

That’s when you’re going to get hurt. So I play relentless.