Oscar Dennis always dreamed of competing at the Olympics.
But he would never have guessed the road he would have to cycle to realise his goal of wearing the famous Olympic rings.
Back in 2021, Oscar Dennis, a former Bond University student and rugby player, was on track to achieve his Olympic dream with the Kenyan Rugby Sevens team.
But a motorcycle crash in Nairobi brought a painful end to that.
After 12 surgeries, a skin graft, and the insertion of several screws in his injured right foot, the Bachelor of Sport Management graduate's dreams appeared to be dashed.
However, everything changed three weeks before the Paris Paralympics.
After Kenyan para-cyclist Kennedy Ogada's Tandem Cycling pilot bowed out of the games at the last minute, Dennis was one of the athletes shortlisted as a potential replacement.
He didn’t hesitate for a second when asked if he’d like to join Ogada in the French capital.
The 29-year-old went on to lead Ogada in the road race, a 127.8km circuit in the B1 event for partially blind competitors.
With only one week to train together, the pair faced an uphill battle.
A combination of exhaustion and mechanical issues prohibited the pair from completing the road race, but they still finished an admirable 11th in the time trial event and left Paris ranked 10th in their category.
They also made history as the only Africans to qualify for the B1 road race and time trial.
"The last thing I expected was to be here today riding tandem in the road race at the Paralympics with the African champion," Dennis told AFP.
"I mean, the world works in wonderful and weird ways and I'm just glad that I could be here to support Ogada.
"I did not expect it at all really."
Having now represented his country in two sports, Dennis is eyeing off a third.
"I've got my sights on a triathlon career for now," he said.
"For the next four years I'll pursue a triathlon career to try and represent Kenya hopefully at the Commonwealth Games and in the next Olympics.
"But I mean I'm always here for my country – I love representing my country in whatever sport.
"It's a privilege, so if the cycling needs me again for a stint I'll be there."