Eimear Breathnach: People with disabilities aren't inherently inspirational — they're just living their lives 

This Much I Know: President of Paralympics Ireland and a former Paralympian 

Eimear Breathnach: The greatest challenge I've faced in my life was returning to school after the diving accident that left me paralysed

I am the second youngest of eight children. I have five brothers, two sisters and 17 nephews and nieces. I met my husband Michael playing wheelchair rugby. He actually had an accident a couple of months before my own and left the National Rehabilitation Centre the week before me. It was a bit like Sliding Doors.

The greatest challenge I've faced in my life was returning to school after the diving accident that left me paralysed from the neck down at 17. Prior to the accident, I was playing sports six or seven days a week. I rarely spent a whole week in classes in school because I was always away travelling to matches. It was a huge part of my school life. Returning to school, getting used to using the wheelchair, being in a new class while my former classmates were doing their Leaving Cert.. it was tough to go back. I stuck with it because I really wanted to do the Leaving Cert.