Tasked with bettering their sterling performance of 30 medals won at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, Team SA will now be gunning for a mammoth 40 medals. 

The South African team ended in sixth position overall in 2008 in the medal-tally, so the pressure is on!

With a team of 62 talented athletes deployed to London, the mission in hand could be a reality. We look at six medal hopefuls who will be flying the South African flag high in London.

Kgothatso Montjane (Wheelchair Tennis)

Voted South Africa’s 2011 Sportswoman of the year with a disability, Kgothatso Montjane, embodies what hard work is all about. The 26-year-old singles tennis player practices at least three hours a day and despite being born with a deformity in one leg and both hands, she has won competitions in ballroom dancing and Latin-American dance.

Hilton Langenhoven (Athletics)

Visually impaired South African Paralympics triple gold medalist Hilton Langenhoven, has overcome the rejection that often comes with albinism. Abandoned by his mother at the tender age of six, Langenhoven lived with his aunt and attended a boarding school in Cape Town's northern suburbs.



He was interested in blind cricket and soccer growing up, but athletics was his one true love.

Teboho Mokgalagadi (Athletics)

Teboho Mokgalagadi is in the habit of collecting medals at Paralympics Games. He took gold at the 2004 Summer Paralympics (100m - T35 and 200m - T35) and in Beijing he sprinted to Bronze in the 100m - T35 event. 



Emily Gray (Swimming)

Inspired by Michael Phelps and Oscar Pistorius, it comes as no surprise that the Sports Science student at the University of Pretoria Emily Gray, will be hoping that her bag is a little bit heavier onreturning from her travels to London. 

She will be taking part in the Women's 100m Freestyle - S9, Women's 400m Freestyle - S9, Women's 100m Backstroke - S9, Women's 200m Individual Medley - SM9 events.

Wheelchair Basketball

A spirited 83-53 win against Morocco ensured that South Africa's wheelchair basketball team would qualify for the Paralympic Games. And did we mention that the boys went through the entire qualifying tournament unbeaten?



Shireen Sapiro

Breaking swimming records seems to be Shireen Sapiro’s pastime. In 2007 she broke the World Record in the 50m Backstroke. She went on to pulverize the 100m backstroke record at the 2008 Summer Paralympics - winning herself the gold medal in the process.



Maybe we will see Sapiro go on another spree in London!.

Catch the 2012 London Paralympics opening ceremony on SS6 at 21:30, on Wednesday 29 August.