Penny speed meets... Paralympian Andy Skinner

How did you get into sports? How old were you?
I loved football when I was younger and I couldn't get enough of athletics. This is why as soon as I became stronger post-accident I decided to contact the British Paralympic Association and now I'm training for one of the world's biggest competitions

What was your first ever job, and were you any good at it?
My first ever job was a Youth Training Scheme in the early 1980s, where I repaired TVs and videos for Granada

If an MP3 player really could only hold three tunes, what would be the soundtrack to your life?
Come Alive by the Foo Fighters; Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood; The training montage in Rocky 4

Who was your top teenage pinup?
It's going to have to be a Page 3 girl and Linda Lusardi is definitely my favourite

My teammates won't know this about me but...
There is no way I'm going to tell them what my DJ name is. Actually, if we win gold I will tell them!

Favourite book of all time?
I'm a massive Apple fan, so the Steve Jobs biography is just up my street

What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
The best advice is actually a saying: ‘Nobody remembers second place.' This pushes me to work as hard as possible to get where I want to be

What would be your chosen superpower?
Flight- no question

How would a typical school report about you read?
Andy has potential but needs to concentrate

My top tip for becoming an Olympian is...
‘No pain no gain'. If you don't ache, sweat and feel physically and mentally drained after training, then you haven't worked hard enough

What's the most annoying thing your team mates do?
I was chosen by a German store to model the prosthetic legs it sold. My team mates discovered the photographs and I haven't lived it down

My last supper would comprise...
A good old English fry up. We're not allowed to eat fatty foods so I would definitely make the most of it in my last supper

Who has been the most influential person in your life to date?
My parents. They've always been there for me, throughout everything I've been through

When I'm not competing I like to...
Spend time with my children

Last film you saw?
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. I'm a big fan of Robert Downey Jr and he's brilliant as Sherlock Holmes

If I wasn't an athlete I would be...
A primary school teacher

Name your five ideal dinner party guests (dead or alive) very briefly noting what they bring to the party
Steve Jobs, as I said, I'm a massive Apple geek; Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters are my favourite band; Brad Pitt, I would love to find out what it's like to go out with Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston; Anyone from The Only Way Is Essex, they're all as mad as each other and I'm desperate to find out if it's all an act; Kirk Douglas, a legendary actor who will definitely have some great stories to tell

Marmite: foods of the gods or work of the devil?
Food of the gods

Career high point to date?
Wearing the Team GB shirt for the first time in 2009 for the EU championships in Poland

Who insures your car and home?
Motability insures my car and HomeLet my home

Can you win the gold in London?
I wouldn't be in it if I didn't think we could win it

Would you like to be probed by Penny? Contact lynn.rouse@incisivemedia.com