Palaympic gold medalist Mark Colbourne has been announced as the guest speaker at the South Wales Argus Business Awards evening on September 27.

Mark, from Tredegar, won a gold and two silver medals in track cycling events at the 2012 London Paralympics. He has since retired from cycling and is now a motivational speaker.

Mark has always been sporty. He played volleyball at international level for Wales in the early 1990s and also took part in climbing, triathlons and paragliding.

In 2009 he was almost killed when his paragliding canopy collapsed and he crashed to the ground, breaking his back.

Only two years after leaving hospital, and after training with Disability Sport Wales at Newport Velodrome, in the autumn of 2011 he raced at the World Para-cycling Championships in Denmark where he took silver in the 10-mile Individual Road Time Trial event.

In February 2012, he won his first cycling gold medal for Great Britain on the track in Los Angeles claiming his first World Para-cycling Championship title.

After a successful season, including a World Championship Silver medal in the 1km individual time trial and two silver medals in the 10 mile Individual Road Time Trial event at both World Cup Para-cycling events in Rome and Segovia, he was picked for the Paralympics GB team for the London 2012 Paralympics.

He won the first medal for Team GB with a well-deserved Silver medal on the track in the 1km Individual Time Trial and the following day he broke the 3km Pursuit World Record twice. Mark went on to win the 3km pursuit and obtain his first Paralympic Gold medal. If that wasn’t enough he entered the 10 mile Individual Road Time Trial five days later winning a silver medal.

He was made an MBE in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to cycling.

South Wales Argus business editor Jo Barnes said: "We are absolutely delighted to have Mark Colbourne as guest speaker at the inaugural South Wales Argus Business Awards ceremony.

"He is a local Gwent man and has a story which I'm no doubt will inspire and motivate everyone who hears it."

A total of 30 businesses, individuals and organisations have been named as finalists in the awards, which are being held in partnership with Newport Now.

Other sponsors of the awards include: Johnsey Estates Ltd, Western Power Distribution, Icon Creative Design, Newport City Council, MHA Broomfield Alexander, Thomas Carroll Group, Kymin, St Joseph's Hospital, Monmouthshire Building Society, Friars Walk, The Kingsway Centre, Effective Communication and Cordant People.

The winners will be announced, along with the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Business of the Year award, at the awards ceremony, which is being held at the Newport Centre on September 27, 2018.

For more details on booking tickets the event contact Matt Berry on 01633 777043 or Samantha Taylor on 01633 777147.