LAST year was a tough year for me for personal reasons but it seems to be coming together again.

It’s a big year for me with Rio on the horizon.

A big stepping stone for me was the World Cup competition in Belgium at the end of May which was a chance to try and impress the selectors to make the team for Rio.

I was able to win silver in the road race, just missing out on gold to World Champion Hans-Peter Durst of Germany.

After missing the entire of the 2015 season, I wasn’t sure how it would go after so long off the bike, but it just clicked into place. It was a really nice boost to be racing again.

I won gold in both at the Paralympic Games in Beijing and then gold in the road race at London and bronze in the time trial.

I prefer the road race as it’s more mental and tactical – it’s more of a game I find which I enjoy a lot.

But to win in Rio would almost be a miracle as the course is not a course that generally suits me.

It’s very flat along the sea front whereas I quite enjoy the hills. So it would mean so much if I could win.

Training had been going really well before the World Cup although I did pick up a bit of an illness bug. It put me out of action for about ten days so it was a case of just trying to get back into things.

I have become more aware that I cannot ride my bike forever and it’s a case of considering what I will do next. I guess I just became a little lost last year but I’m back now.

I still enjoy the suffering on the bike and pushing yourself to the very limits. I enjoy the freedom the bike gives me but sometimes the challenges I face, I don’t enjoy as much. Physically I am still very capable to win bike races but sometimes it’s the motivation.

I do have other interests away from cycling but I do enjoy it so much.

I have got a lot of good friends through my cycling. We train together in Leeds and it’s great because we all push each other on. It’s a really good environment. We train together and then will go for a coffee afterwards together, it’s a real social event. In the past a lot of my training was on my own, and I was very isolated so I prefer it like this.

lColin Appleyard Nissan are proud to support David Stone on his road to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. To find out more about Nissan’s partnership with ParalympicsGB, visit nissan.co.uk/uniteandexcite