Paralympian Jason Smyth has said he feels like he's going from "strength to strength" on Dancing with the Stars as he gears up for the quarter finals this weekend.
The sporting legend, who is partnered with stalwart pro-dancer Karen Byrne on the RTÉ One show, is glad to have made it this far in the competition, which has seen a particularly high standard among the celebrity contestants.
Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment, he said: "Before you come on the show, I don't really know if you put an expectation on where or where you won't get to. I think sometimes that's better - to just embrace each week as they come and try to figure out whatever the dance is and get it right.
"It's great to be in at this stage, we're now in the quarter finals and I think when you hear the word finals, if its quarters or semis or final, I think everybody starts getting a bit 'oh I'm getting really close here'.
"So how can I find ways to up my game or continue to try and improve and stick along to the finaI. It's really been great, challenging as well.
"Coming from no dancing [background], where every week it feels like I’m back to square one, trying to figure out a new dance."
This week has been particularly challenging, both down to the type of dance he and Karen will perform, and the fact that there is also a team dance to contend with.
"This week I've got the jive. Ironically because I ran fast, you would think maybe the faster dances would be easier. I'm not quite finding it that way!", he laughed. "It's been a long week."
Jason and Karen have impressed viewers with their close bond and trust which has led to them pulling off some challenging lifts.
The sports star, who is competing on the dance floor with a 5-10% vision range, said that having trust in one another is key to his progress on the show.
"Just from my experience in sport - building that trust is such a key piece for me. I can't rely on what I see, for me trying to learn something is about how I feel the movement rather than how I see the movement," he said.
"The first time me and Karen met she said to me, let's be open around what you can and can't see. And I said, yeah, absolutely.
"I think that's probably the precedent that starts those kind of foundations is that open and honesty, that there isn't a right or wrong question from her end to ask me."
He added: "We learn as we go and I think that's probably what's built that trust very quickly and knowing it's a piece that we have to rely on, to continue to try to develop.
"Karen's been fabulous, she's got a lot of experience which I think also is an important part to build that trust.
"Sometimes you don’t stop and reflect and look back at where you've come throughout this journey, but it really feels like it has gone strength to strength."
The Dancing with the Stars quarter finals air on Sunday at 6.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
