Paralympian Grant "Scooter" Patterson has swapped laps of the pool for laps of the race track as he pursues a new sporting challenge in 2022 — competitive go-kart racing.
The self-confessed "adrenaline junkie" from Cairns says he's always had a need for speed and will be a fierce competitor behind the wheel.
"With karting, the fear factor is there; the adrenaline ... I love going fast," Patterson said.
"As an athlete, I'm very competitive, competitive in any sport like table tennis or spearfishing, swimming.
That drive helped him claim silver and bronze medals in swimming at the Tokyo Paralympics last year which, along with his larrikin personality, catapulted him to cult hero status.
Kart racing is often the training ground for aspirational Formula One (F1) drivers, and while the 32-year-old admits he may have left his run a bit late, he still has lofty ambitions.
"I think I might be too old and not rich enough, but we'll see what happens.
"Everyone's got to have goals. If you don't have goals, there's no point doing anything."
Crafting a custom ride
Getting into a car and onto the track was no small feat either for the diminutive dynamo.
It took 12 months to build his custom-made speed machine.
"It took us a little while to get the kart all put together because I'm different. They don't make cars for midgets," he said.
Patterson has formed a partnership with Michael Peake, a veteran of the karting circuit with more than 40 years of experience as a race driver and kart mechanic.
Mr Peake said building a car to cater for Patterson's dwarfism had been a unique and rewarding experience.
"He's a little bit short so the thing was to get pedal extensions, get the seat in the right place for him, to make up pedal boxes that were close enough for him to work," he said.
So far he's been impressed by Patterson's progress in the sport and credits his commitment to improving as the driving factor.
"It's what you put in as to what you get out and the potential that he's showing at the moment with the speed that he's progressed in such a short time, I think he's doing extremely well," Mr Peake said.
"So we've got a little bit of work to do so there'll be a lot of on-track and off-track discussions and I think that by the end of the year, he'll be there or thereabouts."
Family support is a driving force
Despite the obvious challenges of living with a disability, Patterson possesses enormous self-belief and he credits his parents for his can-do outlook on life.
"Big thanks to my parents for giving me a strong foundation when I was a little fella, I still am little," he said with his characteristic self-deprecating humour.
"I always strive to do my best and I think I'm spurred on by people saying, 'you can't do that' [it] makes me want to do it more and go harder and faster.
"I tell everyone give it 158 per cent and that's all you can do, as long as you go out trying."
While Patterson's achievements and antics during last year's Tokyo Paralympics won him a legion of supporters, his mother Shelley Patterson says his family are his biggest fans.
"We're very proud ... we have great respect for him and I'm sure other people do as well but we're absolutely so proud of all his achievements," she said.
Mrs Patterson admits to having a few heart-in-mouth moments watching him on the track, but she says her son's new racing venture is typical of his inspirational and spirited approach to life.
"I think he likes the adrenaline rush and the speed, " she said.
"If you set your goals and have a go at everything, that's all people can ask of anyone isn't it, that you just have a go."
While Patterson hopes to make his mark as a race driver, he won't be giving away swimming and is training with the goal of representing Australia at the World Para Swimming Championships in Portugal later this year.
