GREEN beret Joe Townsend believes a podium spot in Rio is an achievable target.

The Paralympic GB triathlete from Eastbourne swims unaided but uses a hand cycle in the second phase of the race and then a racing wheelchair to complete the final leg of the triathlon.

After claiming a world record for the number of press-ups in a minute last year, the amputee has his sights set on a Paralympic medal in Rio.

The 28-year-old said: “There are some very strong guys out here, I would love to be able to say I’m going to win gold but I think you have to be realistic sometimes.

“I definitely think the podium is in sight but who knows, triathlon is one of those sports where it’s very technical, there’s a lot of crashes, anything can happen and there’s a lot of kit so there’s technical issues on the day whoever has the best race, races the course the best will be on top of the podium.

“Training is going really well, I’m definitely in the form of my life.

“If I can deliver what I’m doing in training in a race scenario then it’s going to be exciting.”

Rio 2016 is expected to be the most competitive Paralympic Games ever and Townsend, who stepped on an improvised explosive device while on service in 2008, said the event has crept up on him in recent months.

He said: “It’s amazing, you think you have got years and years of time and its seems a long way away and it creeps up on you really fast, especially going to the official team launch.

“Everything seems really real now and a lot of the time you are just so focused on your training you know it’s the end target and the end goal.

“It always seems like it’s in the distant future but now it’s become very real.”

Townsend is a man used to wearing a uniform and now, wearing the ParalympicsGB kit, he feels part of another entity more important than he can comprehend.

He said: “I feel immensely proud, I was talking earlier to some of my team-mates and I likened it to when I got my green beret within the Royal Marines.

“It’s kind of wearing the insignia of a very elitist club where only a select few have ever had the opportunity to represent this logo and it shows you are at the pinnacle of your sport and I’m immensely proud to fly the GB colours again.”

l Ten-time Paralympic champion Lee Pearson has been named as Great Britain’s flag bearer for today’s opening ceremony of the XV Games in Rio.

The 42-year-old equestrian rider from Staffordshire won three golds at each of the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Paralympics.

Pearson was nominated in a vote of his 263 ParalympicsGB team-mates, competing across 19 of the 22 sports, to carry the flag at the Maracana Stadium in the opening extravaganza.

You can help #Supercharge ParalympicsGB to Rio 2016 and beyond. Show your support for the team and find out more at www.paralympics.org.uk/supercharge