IT takes the swaggering confidence of LeBron James to emblazon the word 'legend' across your website, but no-one could argue Terry Bywater hasn't lived up to the hype.

Readying himself for his sixth Paralympics, Redcar-based Bywater has been the thundering engine room of Britain's wheelchair basketball team for two decades, a player's player who is liked, respected and feared in equal measure.

Three times Bywater, now 38, has left the Games with a medal, all bronzes, the team perennially perched on the global podium.

But gold long eluded the GB squad until victory in the World Championships three years ago, meaning Haj Bhania's players arrive in Tokyo as the team to beat.

Great Britain will face group games against USA, Australia, Germany, Algeria and Iran with four of the six advancing to the last eight.

"We want to create a dynasty for this team and I think we can," said Bywater, just 17 when he made his Games debut in Sydney. "This is the best squad I've ever played with, some of the youngsters coming through are just fantastic."

Bywater is one of a generation of athletes who have seen the fortunes of Paralympics GB transform over the past two decades thanks to National Lottery funding, which allows him and his team-mates to train full-time and benefit from world-class facilities, technology, and coaching.

"I believe we've got the best wheelchair basketball programme in the world," he said. "When we won that World Championship, that was a big message to everybody else in the world - there are so many good teams, USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, any of them could win it.

"This has been the most challenging time for this squad, we didn't train together for nearly 18 months. To be apart in a team sport for that length of time is huge, for many months I just thought Tokyo wasn't happening.

"When you win a Paralympic medal of any colour it's a dream, but as soon as Rio was over, we started thinking Tokyo. We want to finally get that gold - there would be no other feeling in the world."

Bywater was born without a tibia and fibula in his left leg, resulting in its amputation when he was two years old. A decade later, he was introduced to the sport that would consume his life through an open day at his local club, the Teeside Lions.

He recalls falling out of the chair '100 times' and ended up in hospital after his second training session, tumbling backwards and splitting his head open.

“I’m not sure my parents were that impressed but I just fell in love with the sport immediately,” he said.

Within two years he was making his international debut in Canada - handed the number seven jersey that he's refused to let go of ever since.

"I was lucky to get it in my first ever GB game, no-one was taking it off me after that," he added. "I'm a huge football fan and my favourite ever England players were David Platt and David Beckham.

Bywater may be particular about the seven on his vest, but he isn’t bothered by a different digit.

"Age is just a number,” he insisted. “I'm feeling great and can't wait to get started. I never would have believed, all those years after my first one in Sydney, I'd still be going to the Paralympics but I still get that same feeling."

Bywater now lives in Madrid with wife Jodie and son Benjamin, 12, where he plays for leading Spanish side CD Ilunion.

But ever-changing lockdown rules since joining up with the British team means these Games will be the longest the school sweethearts have spent apart since they started dating in their early teens.

"He's an absolute legend to me, I'm still in awe of him, he's just an incredible man and life with him never gets boring," said Jodie.

* No one does more to support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes than National Lottery players, who raise around £36 million each week for good causes including grassroots and elite sport.

Discover the positive impact playing the National Lottery has at www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk and get involved by using the hashtags: #TNLAthletes #MakeAmazingHappen