After transferring to athletics, as a T54 athlete, he competed at the 2004 Athens Paralympics in five events and won a silver medal in the Men's 4 × 100 m Relay T53-54. He competed in four events at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics with his best placing being fourth in the Men's 4 × 100 m Relay T53-54. At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, Nicholson participated in the Men's 100 m T54, 400 m T54 and the Men's 4 × 400 m T53/54 – winning a bronze in the 4 × 400 m.