Determination has driven Mark Colbourne from paralysis to being on the verge of Paralympic selection.

The 42-year-old, from Tredegar, is this week part of British Cycling’s 14-rider team for the Para-cycling Track World Championships in Los Angeles and is determined to come home with a gold medal and the accompanying rainbow jersey in either the one-kilometre time-trial or 3km individual pursuit.

Colbourne said: “There are two ways of overcoming adversity - one having a positive mind and the other having a negative mind. It depends on what you want to achieve from it.

“I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved to date and certainly I’m not one of those who shy away from hard work.’’ Colbourne counted triath-lon, volleyball and rock climbing among his hobbies – before breaking his back in a para-gliding accident in May 2009.

It was found after three months of paralysis and a total of five months in hospital that Colbourne still had the use of his quadriceps and could cycle.

Cycling has satisfied his desire for sporting combat and he made his first revolutions of a velodrome on stabilisers, seven months after his accident.

As soon as the stabilisers came off, Colbourne felt free.

He said: “Immediately I felt that was a new lifeline for me and thought if I can keep continuing to get stronger, fitter and faster, you never know where these opportunities can lead to.

“It gives you such a buzz to feel that you genuinely have your life back, albeit with a disability.

“It just goes to show if you’re prepared to work hard to overcome adversity and then keep pushing the boundaries, then almost anything is possible.”

Colbourne has certainly pushed his ability to the limit under coach Tom Stanton and made an impressive debut at the Road World Champion-ships last September, where he claimed a silver in the time-trial.

He has been fast-tracked for London by the British team.

He added: “Almost three years after my accident it’s nice to see all the hard work I’ve put in now become a reality.

“Tom cannot believe how quickly I’m improving with all the hard work and training sessions he gives me.

“If I can improve 20% on where I am now, I will go into London firing on all cylinders and feeling really confident.”

While London is the overall aim, Los Angeles is the target for now for Britain’s only C1 rider – the classification for riders on upright bikes with the most severe disability.

He added: “I feel quite confident to medal in both races. Hopefully, I’ll come home with a rainbow jersey.”