Nathan Smith will represent New Zealand in cycling.

But it was while in Oxford that he tragically lost a leg after being hit by a car early one Sunday morning in 2004.

Smith was in his first season of rugby for Oxford Harlequins and worked in the pharmacology department at the John Radcliffe Hospital .

He helped Harlequins win the Oxfordshire Cup, but after an end-of-season party at the rugby club, was hit on the westbound carriageway of the A40, near Headington’s Green Road roundabout.

Smith, who was 27 at the time, was taken to the JR, where he had his left leg amputated above the knee.

However, he has fought back and is relishing the chance to compete in London.

“The accident that took my leg seems a long time ago now, but its scary to realise how quickly this chance to compete at the London Paralympics has come about,” he said.

“I am extremely lucky that NZ has such a great support system for disabled sport, but I wouldn’t have got any where near this point without the fantastic support I have received over the last eight years.

“I am living as close to a cyclist’s dream as any one-legged man could ever get.”

Smith competes in the kilo on August 30, 3km individual pursuit (Aug 31), team sprint (Sep 2), 16km road time trial (Sep 5) and 64km road race (Sep 6).