The first athlete with a disability to compete in the Olympic Games was American gymnast George Eyser, way back in 1904. He had been run over by a train and competed with one wooden leg. This didn't stop him from winning six medals, including three gold.Another Olympic great to overcome a major disability was Lis Hartel, a Danish equestrian athlete who rode off with a silver medal for dressage at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Hartel was paralysed from the knees down and in one of sport's most poignant moments, the gold medal winner, Henri Saint Cyr of Sweden, carried her from her horse to the Olympic podium.story_article_left1The origins of the Paralympics as a separate event started with a small gathering of British World War 2 veterans in 1948.The Paralympic Games have grown exponentially since then. On Wednesday, 44 South African athletes will fly out for the latest instalment in Rio. They have their own incredible stories to tell. Swimmer Achmat Hassiem's right leg was severed by a great white shark at Muizenberg beach in 2006.Powerlifter Chantelle Stierman has been in a wheelchair since a car accident when she was three. Javelin thrower Reinhardt Hamman was born with cerebral palsy. His father died in March of heart failure and a stroke. "It was just a few days before I had to go for the national championships in Bloemfontein to qualify for Rio, but I knew my dad would want me to do it."The youngest member of the team, double amputee Ntando Mahlangu, is only 14. He was fitted with his first set of blades in 2012 and will compete in the 100m and 200m sprints.These phenomenal athletes all get gold for courage.Let's cheer them on from the rooftops...