Paralympian Jody Cundy has reflected on his upcoming Strictly Come Dancing appearance, describing it as a "fantastic opportunity" to help others.
The cyclist and former swimmer is part of this season's 15-strong lineup, which includes tennis legend Annabel Croft, Coronation Street's Les Dennis and Ellie Leach and EastEnders' Bobby Brazier.
"For me, it's a bit of an honour at the moment," Cundy told media outlet Digital Spy and other press.
"I just ride a bike, I've swum and won a few medals. But to be invited to be one of the celebrities, that means I must have made it."
The athlete said he hopes to help others with disabilities as well as encouraging more people to get out of their comfort zone the way he'll be doing it on the show.
"It's a nice honour, it gives me a great platform to help people like myself with disabilities in sport, to get people up and off the sofas and doing stuff they never thought they could do because they'll see somebody doing it with one leg," he said.
Cundy also shared hesitating when he first got the Strictly call, but ultimately decided it was too good a chance to pass up.
"If I can do that to help people, it's a fantastic opportunity. I'm looking forward to the whole process. When they came ringing, they don't ring up everybody. It took a bit of thought, but I said, 'Yeah, let's do it'."
Strictly Come Dancing returns for its launch special on September 16 on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
