Mikey Jones is a British Paralympic swimmer and gold medallist. Ahead of the World Para Swimming Championships in London this September, we spoke to him about his motivation, career goals and how he’s feeling about the upcoming competition.

What are you most looking forward to about the event?

I’m really excited to compete in front of a home crowd. I think the atmosphere will be absolutely fantastic. Ticket prices are £1 for heats and £5 for finals, so they are not ridiculous prices and hopefully we can get a sold-out arena and a roar from the crowd when you walk out – I think that would be amazing. I’m really looking forward to it.

What will it feel like competing in front of a home crowd?

You almost go in not wanting to disappoint them, and that in itself is motivation for me. You want to put on a great performance for them. I’m really, really excited.

Who are the GB athletes to watch out for?

It’s hard to pinpoint certain ones. Obviously, you have the big names like Ellie Simmonds, Maisie Summers-Newton, Ellie Robinson, Alice Tai, but I think some of the younger ones will certainly surprise a lot of people.

What are your own personal ambitions for the World Championships?

I really want to win at the World Championships. For me, being Paralympic and European champion, there’s only one title I can add and then I’ll hold all of them – and that’s the World title. So, I really, really want to win. If I hold all three, that’s kind of the Holy Grail.

Who inspired you to start competing? What inspires and motivates you to keep going?

Initially it was my parents who got me into competitive swimming. Then when I was at home watching London 2012 and seeing the likes of Ellie Simmonds and John Fox competing, that really cemented my desire to do what they do. I’m very fortunate to have reached that same level.

The drive to prove myself really keeps me going. I really want to get the world record in my classification. And my love for the sport, because I really do love swimming; it’s the one place where, for me, I’m an equal. I can’t compete on land – I really do just have this love for the water.

How are your preparations for Tokyo 2020?

At the moment everything is on track for Tokyo. I had shoulder surgery back in November 2017 which was really the best time for it, because we had Europeans in 2018 and I think we said at the time that going to Europeans would be a bonus, and fortunately I was able to do that.

Since the shoulder surgery there have been a few ups and downs, but at the moment things are going well in the pool, I’m feeling really strong and I’m getting back into the gym. Things are going pretty well at the moment.

What does the future hold for you?

For me, I’ll see how I perform in 2020 but at the moment I feel like I would like to do another Paralympic cycle. I suppose four years is a long time and a lot could happen in that time, but I feel like my love for swimming will still be there and as long as I still have that love, I may as well continue doing it.

Click here to find out more about the World Para Swimming Championships and buy tickets to the event.