Padraig McCrory has stammered for as long as he can remember.
The world champion boxer can recall the "odd cruel remark" as he grew up in West Belfast. He remembers how it affected his confidence in school.
But the now 34-year-old has refused to let his speech impediment define his life, or sports career.
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"I can't remember not having a speech impediment," he said.
"I never got much hassle when growing up. There was the odd cruel remark in school and things like that there.
"But it is something that definitely held me back at school. I was reluctant to speak up or ask questions in class.
"I used to dread standing up in class to read paragraphs from books, and other things like that. There were some negative comments, but I grew up in St James' and had a group of friends who had my back.
"Looking back, it definitely affected my education because I was afraid to ask questions. And if I didn't know something I didn't want to ask the teacher, because that would have meant speaking in class.
"A couple of my friends had speech impediments, and my granda and a couple of uncles also had one. It is something I always worried about, if my kids would end up with one.
"But there are no signs that they will."
Living with a stammer is something McCrory has rarely spoken about, but he recently shared his thoughts on social media after reading about Watford footballer Ken Sema.
Swedish footballer Sema - who also has a stammer - received praise after conducting a post-match interview following his club's 3-2 win over Hull City.
One video of the interview has been viewed over 11m times on Twitter.
"Seeing the interview with Ken Sema was encouraging,. because you don't tend to see many interviews with sportspeople who have speech impediments. I was actually surprised there haven't been more sportspeople like that," McCrory added.
"I have three or four friends with speech impediments, and it got me wondering where all these athletes are. Where are all these athletes with speech impediments?
"Then it got me wondering if it holds them back. Maybe they are scared of putting themselves in front of the public.
"They might not want to be put in that position. But I thought there would be a few.
"I still get anxious when it comes to press conferences. It is out of my control and I can't control when I will start stammering.
"There might be times when it is worse than other times, but there is nothing I can do about it. I just hope it never becomes too embarrassing.
"I will just deal with it when it comes, but it is definitely in the back of my mind. But I won't let it stop me."
McCrory recalls having to face the media ahead of his professional debut back in 2017. 'The Hammer' was part of the undercard for Ryan Burnett's World title showdown with Lee Haskins at the SSE Arena.
The Belfast boxer attended the pre-fight press conference, not realising he would feature on the top table.
"My first professional fight was on a big card. We did the public workout at Castle Court and the next day we did a press conference," he said.
"I didn't think I would be on the top table, but I went along to watch. When I walked in I saw my name on a card on the top table.
"I remember thinking, 'Ah s***, I have to go up there and talk, and Eddie Hearn is here and all these other people'."
"I sat there and was asked a question, and I just gave a very short answer and then thought 'thank God that's over'.
"The more I have done it, the more comfortable it becomes. But it is still tough."
McCrory uses different breathing techniques to deal with public appearances, and also slows down his speech when talking.
He also changes the structure of sentences, using different words to frame the message he wants to get across.
He said: "I read up a bit on it, and I try different breathing techniques and slow down my speech. I try to think about different words, words I can say.
"I try to adapt and use different words. I can see in old interviews where I have gone to say something, then I rephrase the whole sentence.
"Public speaking situations are the worst. There is more pressure when I am speaking in front of people, or if there is a camera and footage that people can watch back.
"When I started my boxing career, I said to myself that I wouldn't let it stop me from doing anything. But there are times when people take things for granted in terms of media stuff.
"I am anxious and worried when I have to do press and media."
McCrory says he tries to challenge himself when it comes to dealing with a stammer.
He also offered some words of encouragement to anyone struggling with a speech impediment.
"You don't want to sound patronising, but I feel I try to challenge myself, and I work on different things that help me get through situations," he said.
"I try breathing techniques and staying calm, instead of getting worked up. I would tell any person struggling to not let it overwhelm or consume them.
"The worst thing that can happen is it will take you a couple of seconds to say a word, but don't get stressed about it. People are understanding.
"And if you get any negative remarks, don't let it spoil your day or dampen our outlook on it. Try and stay positive.
"Attitudes are changing. In the past it was maybe something people mocked or made fun of.
"I read the comments on the Sema story and the majority were positive, which is good to see.
"I am sure even he was concerned about doing the interview. But I am sure his interview will have helped many people.
"And if I can help one person through what I do, then it is a massive plus."
McCrory hopes that by opening up on his own story that he can raise awareness and offer encouragement to others.
"I would like to help anyone I can," he said.
"Sometimes I worry about whether some people might poke fun. It is a cruel world sometimes, and the vulnerability sometimes makes you go into your shell and avoid public situations.
"I don't view it as a disability, but maybe it is. But I don't let it hold me back.
"There are a lot of people who are worse off than me and it has held them back. Even in situations like applying for jobs, there were times when I thought 'I can't do that' and 'I can't do that'.
"So it stopped me from applying for different roles. And if you have a bad day it can affect your confidence.
"Some people might think it is just a speech impediment, but it can be embarrassing at times.
"As a personal trainer I meet people and chat to people all the time. And I take fitness classes and things like that with 20-30 people there.
"Again, I have my moments but I get the sense that most people are understanding and empathetic. I made a decision to not allow it to hold me back, but there are some jobs I could never do.
"I couldn't work in a call centre or become a sales person. I worked for a sports shop and every so often we had to do up sales, and I used to stress out over it.
"Having to try and sell something to someone was a nightmare for me."
McCrory added: "For me, in combat sports, it is quite macho at times with boxers calling each other out. The verbals help sell fights.
"I see the likes of Jake Paul chatting s*** but he's making millions out of the promotion of his fights. It is not as easy for me to get involved in something like that.
"All that trash talking isn't my style, to be honest. But if it was then it would be a lot more difficult for me.
"But if I stand in front of a camera with a speech impediment, that might help someone break down their own barriers. If that happens then I will be over the moon."
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