As a teenaged boy Peter Mitchell flew from his home in Northern Ireland to chase a dream that so many other Irish boys before him had chased. By 2002 it looked like his dream was becoming a reality as he had signed a professional contract with Leeds United and he was well on the road towards being paid to pursue his passion, football.

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All of that changed in an instant when, as a passenger in the back of a teammate's car, he broke his spine in two places after the car flipped off the road. Mitch has not allowed his story to become a tragic one though. Like so many, he has gone to some dark places as he lie in hospital rooms and his mother's home contemplating what had been taken from him but he used all of the mental strength that had taken him from Limavady to Leeds to get himself up and back on the determined path to success.

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Within a year of the crash Peter was representing Ireland, not in football as he may have dreamed, but in wheelchair basketball. That opportunity then led to acting opportunities and particularly a role in the ground breaking mockumentary Cast Offs, followed by spells on Hollyoaks and Coronation Street and a host of comedy-dramas.

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Peter's real passion though is in sharing his experience, inspiring others but also helping them to contextualise and make good decisions, particularly in the unforgiving environments of elite sport.​

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He's still involved in football, scouting for Burnley FC, and also, what he is so proud of, is his role as assistant manager of the Derry City FC women's team.

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Peter's emotional story can be seen in this episode of podcast Football Journeys.