The primary school kids inspiring Michael Roeger's Paralympic Games marathon run

These are just some of the words scribbled down in coloured pencil and sent to Michael Roeger from primary schools close to the Paralympian's childhood home.

And of course, there is a reminder of the task ahead: Michael started running 1500 metre and now runs 42,000 metres. That's a long way!

But the 33-year-old says he is "ready to go the journey" as he chases gold in the men's marathon [T46 classification], which marks the final event of the Tokyo Paralympic Games on Sunday morning.

Roeger was born missing the bottom half of his right arm, and his Paralympic journey was born in primary school when six-time gold medallist Neil Fuller came to talk about life with a prosthetic leg and how he reached his sport's pinnacle.

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He pulled Roeger aside and told him "one day you could be like me". Fast forward all these years and Roeger is bound for his fourth Paralympic appearance.

So it's fitting he will be inspired by letters and a video message from students at his old primary school Langhorne Creek, and drawings from Jervois Primary School in the country near his hometown.

Already with a bronze medal in his collection from the 1500m event in Rio five years ago, Roeger has a golden opportunity to add the Paralympics' highest accolade in Tokyo's stifling heat and humidity.

"I do catch myself thinking about that. It's been the dream since I remember basically my first run," Roeger said.

"It was always about standing on top of the podium and singing the national anthem and that hasn't changed. Sitting here talking to you now, it just gives me goosebumps.

"I always put it into perspective, it is a marathon, it is a Paralympic Games, and everyone on the start line will be going there to win. There's 42 kilometres and anything can happen, especially in this heat."

Which is why Roeger trained in the middle of the day in Cairns' blazing sun, why he spent months covering all bases and acclimatising in preparation for Tokyo.

"I saw in the Olympic marathon, I think 30 per cent of the field didn't finish. In my class in the marathon in Rio at the Paralympic Games, a lot of them didn't finish in the heat in Rio," Roeger said.

"I'm ready for war in Tokyo. The hotter the better. Of course, I think about winning every day. I dream about it every day and I train for it every day.

"It's always there, and that's not going to go away."

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