IT'S not everyday the Whitsunday Regional Council hands over the keys to Proserpine.

Nor is it every year.

For someone to be worthy of such a grand accolade, one must be exceptional.

Last month when paralympic cyclist David Nicholas won gold in the Rio De Janeiro Paralympic Games he became an exceptional athlete, an exceptional Proserpinian and an exceptional member of the Whitsunday Regional Council staff.

He was handed the keys to the town of Proserpine, mounted and framed, in a civic reception at the Proserpine Entertainment Centre on Saturday.

The venue was packed with people all holding mock gold medals on which was displayed Nicholas' picture and the words: "I am the master of my fate”.

Mayor Andrew Willcox in his address to the crowd said it took less than four minutes to snatch glory on the track in Rio.

"Those four minuites made David the best in the world...those four minutes made him a gold medallist at back-to-back Paralympics after his gold in London and those four minutes provided inspiration for our Whitsunday community,” he said.

"However those four minutes didn't make him a legend, because he was already well and truly a legend in our eyes.”

After the ceremony Nicholas said it was "an awesome feeling to receive the keys” to Proserpine.

Nicholas' father David Nicholas senior said the council and the people had bestowed a "great honour” on his son.

"It's fantastic that so many people have turned up on a day when there are other things on,” he said.

Mr Nicholas said he may have won back-to-back gold medals but he is not quite ready to quit the sport.

”His is only 24 so if he stays until Toyko he will be 28. You are at your peak psycically at that age for a male cyclist so long as he stays healthy and doesn't have any injuries there is no reason why he cant compete at the next games.”