8. Sarah Storey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpJJG3hdMek Sport - Track Cycling Sarah Storey, born without a fully functioning arm, was initially in contention for a place in the main Olympic track cycling team, which wouldve been an astonishing accomplishment given the calibre of the teams existing members and her ability to fully use just one hand. Her credentials were sound, given that shed previously competed against completely able-bodied athletes in the Commonwealth Games in India in 2010, but ultimately, she was not selected, participating in the Paralympics for the sixth time instead. Initially a swimmer, winning medals at four successive games in Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens, Storey has been dominant since making the switch to cycling; winning gold in every event she entered in both Beijing and London, making her one of two Paralympians to win four gold medals in front of the home crowd. Having proven herself more than capable, one wonders if Storey will soon be given the opportunity to ride alongside the best of the best, particularly given the recent retirement of track cyclings most recognisable female face, Victoria Pendleton. 7. David Weir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVDziujQ4PU Sport - Athletics The final Paralympian to feature on this list, David Weir shared the honour of carrying the Union Jack at the closing ceremony with Sarah Storey. The MBE-holder possesses the British Paralympic records for every track event up to the 5000m, as well as the 10km, half marathon and marathon road events. His career has seen him win the London Marathon six times, in addition to medals in the European Championships, World Championships, World Cup, and the Paralympics themselves. Four of these Paralympic gold medals came in 2012, as Weir, born without the use of his legs, achieved victories in the 800m, 1500m, 5000m and marathon, leading to him being described as phenomenal athlete by Lord Coe, unstoppable by The Guardian and simply inspiring by Usain Bolt. One of the first disabled athletes to ever be in serious contention for the coveted BBC Sports Personality Of The Year award, Weir had the disfortune of excelling in a year where so many of his compatriots have also accomplished great things, and may be a dead cert for the honour if he can replicate his achievements again in a future year.