Oscar Pistorius, South Africa, athletics
No Paralympian will be more under scrutiny in London. Born with fibular hemimelia, a bone disorder that led to his legs being amputated aged 11, Pistorius has refused to be cowed. He fought hard to be eligible to compete against non-disabled athletes, and won when he was selected for the 2012 Olympics.

Natalie du Toit, South Africa, swimming
If Pistorius is the poster boy for athletics, Du Toit is the flag-bearer for swimming. Having lost a leg after being run over aged 17 – she described her left leg “splitting like a dropped tomato” – she won 10 Paralympic gold medals in 2004 and 2008, and competed in the 2008 Olympics, the first amputee to do so.