Luc Percival Photography

Media interest in the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games was huge. The eyes of the world were very much on these games for a lot of reasons. Many questions were posed about the crisis in Ukraine. The focus, remained, however on the sport and delivering the most impressive Winter Paralympic Games in history.

There was barely enough room to cram all the photographers, television, radio and written press into the conference room for the conference with the President of the National Paralympic Committee Valeriy Suskevich. Only he could tell the World if the team would participate in these games. To the great delight of everyone they did.

Craig Spence and Xavier Gonzalez expressed the IPC's delight that Team Ukraine would be participating in the games after-all. "Let's talk about the sport, now!"

The 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games were, not only my first Winter games but also the first time I had been to Russia. On my first day in Russia I found myself in the Presidential Suite face to face with Vladimir Putin as Sir Philip Craven introduced him to the International Paralympic Committee's governing board. I'd always wanted to go to Russia but never in my wildest dreams did I expect to 'meet' and photograph its President on my first day there!

The opening ceremony to the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games was one of the most spectacular openings to any event I have seen or photographed. Most poignant, though was Sir Philip Craven's speech. As he said London had it's 'Games Makers' while Sochi, Russia had it's 'Change Makers.' This was an evening to remember!

My first trip up to the Alpine Centre at the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games. Covered some of the Super G from the platforms low down the course, spent time photographing in the mixed zone and tribunes before making my way backstage to be ready to cover the flower ceremony.

The 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games will be remembered for it's barmy weather! The day I photographed the men's and women's 20/15km Cross Country Skiing (Standing and visually impaired) was no exception! The weather was incredible as temperatures soared into the mid the mid 70s (~23degC). Blessed with mountain sunshine we did have nice light for taking photos.

In the Nordic disciplines Russia and the Ukraine would dominate the medals. However there were a few surprises not least Paralympic Rower Oksana Masters winning silver in the Nordic XC at her first Winter Paralympic Games. In the Alpine skiing, Super G, Marie Bochet set the ball rolling for her near total dominance of the Alpine Skiing Women's program by securing Gold with her team-mate Solene Jambaque taking Silver. And of course one musn't over look the fabulous success of GBR's Kelly Gallagher's Gold medal in the Super G and also Jade Etherington's Bronze. A great day for British Disability Skiing! March 10th 2014 - Medal Ceremonies Womens XC and Super G

The day of the men's and women's Super Combined (standing, sitting and visually impaired) competition at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games will go down in my book as one of my dampest days in a photo-position! The downhill was scheduled for the morning and so we (photographers) set up at our photo-position and waited...and waited...and waited. Eventually news reached us that, because of the rain and fog, the downhill had been cancelled.

On my 'road to' the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games I photographed the B Pool Qualifying Tournament in Torino (October 2013.) Photographing the Russia V Norway final was my first taste of A Pool sledge hockey and it was great! Russia beat Norway earning their place in the Gold Medal match final against other A Pool team; the USA.

The 1km XC Sprint on the Nordic program is a tough race. Tatyana McFadden was very much the surprise medalist in the Nordic events where she narrowly missed out on a Gold medal by 0.10sec! The two Anna's; Lena-Forster and Schaffelhuber both occupied steps on the podium; silver and gold respectively - for the Women's Sit Skiing Slalom in Alpine Skiing.

I was looking forward to photographing the Biathlon at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games. Having photographed the World Cup finals in the build up to Sochi I was keen to see how the biathletes would perform on the World Stage. For me it was a whole day of sit skier, standing and visually impaired biathletes. Doesn't get better than this! Finally the weather was cold, a little snowy and a little foggy. It certainly felt like Winter was here!

Out and about in the Paralympic Park at night.

I'd never photographed Wheelchair Curling until the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games. This was a first for me. So it was great that not only would I shoot the semi-final matches but go on to cover the finals and bronze medal matches.

Having photographed the semi-final matches of the Wheelchair Curling at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games I then covered the finals matches to see who out of Canada and Russia would win Gold and who out of Great Britain and China would win Bronze.

A fairy tale finish to the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games Ice Sledge Hockey programme; Team RUSSIA v Team USA! Who could have asked for a better finale to the the Ice Sledge Hockey programme? The two strongest teams in sledge hockey battled it out for Gold. The atmosphere was electric! In front of a Russian partisan crowd the USA snatched Gold with just one goal to zero. Possibly one of the most memorable sledge hockey matches I have photographed!

The final sports event for me to photograph at the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Games. The women's Giant Slalom is a tough event. The athlete has to have the technical abilities of a slalom skier and the speed of a downhill skier and then blend the two together to get down that hill the fastest.

The Women's Giant Slalom was the last event in the Alpine Program. And this was it's last medal ceremony; held up in the Alpine Centre in the finish area of the racing. Marie Bochet signed off her Sochi Paralympic Games with her 4th Gold Medal along side team-mate Solene Jambaque with yet another Silver for France. Henrieta Farkasova took home Gold in the visually impaired class whilst Andrea Schaffelhuber took home yet another Gold medal for Germany. All that was left to do now was party at the closing ceremony!

The closing ceremony for the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games was truly spectacular and full of surprises. The ever lasting image and message from the ceremony and, really, from these games was turning the "Impossible" into "I'm Possible." A valuable message for everyone to take home from these incredible 9 days of Winter Sports.