Growing up in a small town, according to runner Sabra Hawkes, she didn’t know people even had cerebral palsy. She was amazed when the Paralympics “discovered” her. Now she runs the 100m, 200m and 400m, and says "I just like to run so much."

Ileana Rodriguez was a dancer in Cuba before a spinal cord injury. "All of us have challenges in our life," she says, as she remembers two teachers who made a difference: the high school coach who saw she was an athlete, and the Paralympics coach who pushed her to top-level competition.

Equestrian Wendy Fryke describes her sport as a combination of floor gymnastics and ballet – on a horse.

Garcia-Tolson has been swimming competitively since he was a young boy. He knows how hard athletes must work and talks about what makes it all worthwhile – his teammates and “getting one inch closer to a gold medal.”

Paralympic archer Russell Wolfe says he “searched for years to find my way” after an accident ended his military career. Now he’s proud to represent the U.S. in international competition, and to counsel fellow veterans with disabilities to "start living again."

Prosthetist Shane Ryley reveals the special care and technology needed to create high-performance artificial limbs for athletes - and to keep them tuned perfectly for best results. Ryley compares the impact that sports put on prosthetic limbs: "hundreds of times higher" than on biological legs.

Chris Ahrens explains that he and his teammates committed to London 4 years ago – and it took some tough playing to get them there. Worldwide, only a handful of Soccer 7-a-Side teams can qualify for each Paralympics. The U.S. players missed out on Beijing in 2008 and were determined to make it in 2012.

Jeff Fabry, bronze medalist in archery in 2004 and 2008, is looking to “make a statement” in London 2012. His steady, exact routines are like “a robot shooting the bow,” he says, as he sets up and shoots.

Speed, emotion, and teamwork - the U.S. men’s sitting volleyball team recall the 2011 Parapan American championship match against Brazil.

Paralympians show off the high-tech wizardry that is part of today’s elite level competition, and describe the impact that new designs, new materials, and new technologies have had on their sports. “You would think that person was born with the chair attached to them” – that’s how one athlete describes the perfect fit for a sports wheelchair.

The Warrior Games – a chance for injured service men and women to show their abilities and bring glory, again, to the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force. It's also a chance for them to learn from the best: the many Paralympians who work as mentors and coaches, showing the veterans the techniques and skills they’ll need to compete, on the track and in life.

Vision-impaired athlete Lex Gillette competes in four Paralympic sports, two in jumping and two in running. Lex talks about losing his vision as a young boy and says, “We had to figure out how we were going to move on from that.” In this video he shows MEDAL QUEST how he sets up for his tremendous flying jumps.

To some, goalball looks like a cross between bowling and soccer. The players know it as a tough, physical sport with lots of strategy and speed. In this MEDALQUEST video, members of the women’s goalball team talk about the skills that made them today’s defending Paralympic champions.

It takes years of training to be a Paralympian, with long hours and a true competitive drive. “We have no slouches,” says judo’s Myles Porter. As Brent Rasmussen from sitting volleyball says, “It doesn’t happen overnight -- you don’t just show up and play.” Athletes from a range of sports – sprinting, wheelchair tennis, sitting volleyball, discus, and more -agree: “It all comes down to heart."

Paralympic sprinter Katy Sullivan remembers how unsure she was the first time she saw running legs. Then, “the world of sports opened to me.” She also describes that incredible moment before a race starts, when everything narrows down to a kind of "tunnel vision." Katy Sullivan makes it clear that Paralympians and Olympians are all one team – and for all of them, London 2012 is the goal.

Alana Nichols of the women’s wheelchair basketball team admits she likes going “really fast.” “I love feeling my heart beat,” she says. Her competitive spirit took over when she started playing wheelchair athletics – and now she’s the first woman to win gold in both the Summer and Winter Paralympics.

Wheelchair tennis player Mackenzie Soldan was surprised, at the Parapan American Games, by her own reaction: “It hit me, I’m playing for my country.” It was a tough start for Soldan, as she lost the first set. “I kind of choked a bit,” she admits. But she talks about what it took to claw her way back up – and the emotional finish to the game.

Paul Schulte, co-captain of the men’s wheelchair basketball team, talks about getting his shot to "click", and pushing to the limits. “Blowing past someone on the baseline,” “drop steps,” “picks” – the moves and strategies are the same for wheelchair basketball players. “And we shoot 3-pointers, too!”

Blake Leeper is one of the younger members of Team USA and began competing internationally less than three years ago. The level of competition was a revelation to him. Leeper talks about the intense level of competition in Paralympic sports and how he stacks up against two of the biggest names in racing, South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius and America’s Jerome Singleton.

Allison Jones tells the story of how she came to Paralympic cycling -- and how cool it is to hear crowds chant "USA!!" while she competes. A multi-sport competitor, Allison has competed in the last five Paralympics, Summer and Winter, winning medals in skiing as well as bicycling. Her focus now, every day: "the end game for London."