[6] He won two golds for Ireland at the 2008 Summer Paralympics setting records at the Men's 100 metres T13 and the Men's 200 metres T13, which led some Irish news sources to compare his feat to that of Usain Bolt, who achieved a similar feat at the 2008 Summer Olympics[7] In 2015 the International Paralympic Committee's website also compared him to Bolt.

[9] Smyth made history as the first Paralympian to compete at an open European championships, qualifying for the semi-finals of the 100 metres.

[11] Smyth was selected to represent Northern Ireland at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, but had to withdraw from the team due to a back injury.

On Saint Patrick's Day 2024, despite receiving low scores throughout the competition, Smyth and his dance partner Karen Byrne were announced as the winners of the show.

[23] Smyth was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to Paralympic athletics and the sporting community in Northern Ireland.