Britain's Got Talent star Paul Nunnari has revealed the motivation behind his gravity-defying aerial act, which earned him Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer.
The Australian, 53, became a frontrunner to win the latest series of the ITV talent show after wowing judges Simon, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI during Saturday night's audition show.
In a display of strength and control, Paul climbed a silk rope, attached the material to his neck and spun high above the stage while blindfolded - using only his arms.
The performance stunned the audience not only for his technical prowess, but because the former Paralympian executed the entire routine from his wheelchair, lifting and sustaining his body weight as he soared through the air.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Paul opened up about the road trauma he suffered at the age of 11, which left him with a life-changing spinal cord injury - though he has never allowed it to define him.
Speaking about his act, he said: 'I was injured through a road trauma when I was quite young. When I was in hospital, the two things I wanted to do were learn to do wheelies and to chase nurses. The chair wasn't a deficit to me - it was the complete opposite.
Britain's Got Talent star Paul Nunnari has revealed the motivation behind his gravity-defying aerial act, which earned him Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer
The Australian became a frontrunner to win the latest series of the ITV talent show after wowing judges Simon, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI during Saturday's audition show
'I have always lived my life as a wheelchair user, not thinking about what I can't do in the chair but thinking about how I can do it in the chair but differently. The chair has never been a barrier to do anything. That was definitely the motivator.
'I never want to be judged based on my disability. I want to be judged based on my performance. So, it's vitally important that I perform at a high level, so that's my focus.
'It's most enjoyable once I finish the performance and know I have nailed it. Hand on my heart, when I climb down from that silk, I take the blindfold off and look at the judges and crowd, I know in my heart that I have nailed it and that's what matters most to me.'
Paul said he wanted his performance, which he trained and rehearsed tirelessly to perfect, to demonstrate that having a disability does not hold you back.
He explained that, in his experience, people often underestimate him because he uses a wheelchair, something he considers entirely irrelevant.
Through his act, he hopes to challenge public misconceptions and change perceptions of the disabled community.
He said: 'When you talk about the way you have been injured or why you're a wheelchair user, it evokes a very sympathetic response. People with disabilities have very low expectations put on them and I think it should be the opposite.
'We should give people with disabilities an equable and dignified starting moment as everybody else and have high expectations of them.
Paul said he wanted his performance, which he trained and rehearsed tirelessly to perfect, to demonstrate that having a disability does not hold you back
The aerialist previously reached the final of the Australia's Got Talent in 2013, but hopes to go all the way on Britain's Got Talent
'I feel like people are content for me to do the pat on the shoulder and say 'I did my best' because I'm in a chair - but I don't ever want to feel like that.
'It's obvious I use a wheelchair and I have a spinal cord injury; I use a wheelchair fulltime and live my life in a chair but it's almost like asking a person the colour of their eyes or hair. It doesn't really matter.
'I try to let my performance speak for itself and change attitudes through those three minutes.'
Paul, who previously reached the final of Australia's Got Talent in 2013, said he hopes the daredevil nature of his act, which he describes as 'risky', will help highlight the real challenges faced by people with disabilities.
He said: 'Having a disability is not a barrier; physical barriers, communication barriers, and attitude barriers are what prevent people with disabilities from being able to reach their true potentials.
'I do everything I can every day to address or confront or call out those types of barriers and in some ways, I try to let my performance address those perceptions around disability.
'If someone in a chair can do this, then why can't we employ someone with a disability? Why can't we include a young person in a mainstream class in schools or why can't we include someone who's deaf or blind or low vision in a football game?
'I have a wonderful platform, and I appreciate that, but I know the day-to-day things - like questioning is the train accessible for me to get on? - and confronting - whether it's the government or public service - that we're able to do those day-to-day things that everyone else takes for granted.'
Through his act, Paul hopes to challenge public misconceptions and change perceptions of the disabled community
Britain's Got Talent returned to screens on Saturday night, with judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI on the panel
The Paralympian and silver medalist in the men's 4 × 100m relay, which he won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, revealed that following his appearance on Australia's Got Talent, he hopes to go all the way on the British version this year.
He believes it could be a full-circle moment to perform at the Royal Variety Show, having previously met King Charles when the monarch awarded him a trophy for winning the Royal Rehab Oz Day 10K back in 1989.
Paul explained: 'With Australia's Got Talent - it was an amazing experience, and I say this respectfully to the show, Britain's Got Talent is the pinnacle, that I aspired to get to.
'I made it to the grand final round, so for me being able to compete on BGT is another wonderful experience and it's a once in a lifetime opportunity and I don't take it for granted.
'I met King Charles in 1989 when he started a wheelchair race that I was competing in, and I won in Sydney - there's history there. I was 18, and he presented me with my trophy for winning the junior division of the Oz 10K. It goes throughout the Rock and happens every year on January 26, which is Australia Day.
'It would be awesome to come full circle and perform in front of him. Forget about the money - it's about performing in front of the King.'
He added: 'I want to win the competition. I know I can do a performance that's worthy of winning, but I am competing against amazing performers as well. I want to give myself every opportunity to win the show, and I will perform my absolute 110 per cent to do that.'
- Britain's Got Talent continues Saturday at 7pm on ITV1, ITVX and STV
