After the glory of Team GB’s golden summer in Rio, the pressure is on the south’s top Paralympians to shine in Brazil.

Having had relatively few athletes from the region competing in the Olympics, it is a very different story for the Paralympics, which gets underway with tonight’s opening ceremony at the Maracana.

There are medal hopes and inspiring stories from across the area to follow in the sunshine of South America as the festival of sport kicks-off.

Micky Yule, the Locks Heath based powerlifter, has attracted more attention than most.

Yule lost both his legs serving in the armed forces when he stepped on an IED in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010.

However, his remarkable story really got going as he rediscovered a love for powerlifting.

Having coming an agonising fourth at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, Yule can test himself against the best when he gets going on Saturday.

"This is the next level up from the Commonwealth Games," said Yule. "I am not expected to medal here. In fact, there are a few people who will think I am going to come last. The most I have lifted in this weight group is 180 kg. Now I might come last but that was 18 months ago. We are stronger than we ever have been.

"I probably need a couple of guys to have a bad day and me to have the best day I have ever had - that is the truth. The guys ahead of me are all multiple Paralympic medallists. I think they are already dishing out the medals between themselves.

“But they have to watch themselves, they need to be on their game or I'll take that medal away from them. They might not see me coming until it is too late for him.”

David Henson suffered the same fate as Yule in Helmand a year later, but has also turned adversity into remarkable achievement.

The Southampton AC star will compete in both the T42 100 and 200 metres, with the former taking place next week and the latter beginning with the heats on Saturday and the final on Sunday.

“It’s always an honour to represent your country and I’m so proud that I will be making my Paralympic debut in Rio,” reflected Henson.

“This is the real pinnacle of our sport and a huge amount of hard work has gone on behind the scenes, day in and day out, to make this happen.

“I can’t wait to go out and compete in Brazil and give a lifetime best performance on the track.”

Southampton sailor Helena Lucas has already tasted success at a Paralympics, having won gold in London 2012.

This will be her last chance to add to that tally. At the age of 41, Lucas has heard the bombshell news that sailing has been dropped from Paralympics after this year.

“The majority of us are going with the attitude that this is our last chance to win a medal,” said Lucas, whose races start next week.

“And we have to make sure that we enjoy it, and that we make the most of this amazing opportunity. And I am determined to have a good time, as I know that I will perform better if I do.”

As far as incredible stories go, few can compare with 17-year-old wheelchair basketball star Joy Haizelden.

Joy, who was born with spina bifida, and her sister were left outside an orphanage in China as newborns, and adopted by a British couple who brought them to Southampton in 2005.

It was her dad that introduced her to wheelchair basketball and she has not looked back since.

She was part of the squad that won European bronze last year and is now out to win a first ever ParalympicsGB wheelchair basketball medal, in Rio. Great Britain start their campaign tomorrow.

David Smith, the 26-year-old from Eastleigh, who attended Cedar School, is in the GB Boccia team, having been crowned the youngest ever British champion in 2003.

It will be a third Paralympics for Smith, who was part of the team that won gold in Beijing 2008, and took bronze in the Team BC1-2 and silver in the BC1 in London 2012.

Also in action will be New Milton S7 swimming star Michael Jones, who is competing at his first Paralympics.

Alice Tai, also from New Milton, is aiming for gold at Rio. She holds 15 British and two European swimming records and has been supported by HTAS for the past five years. Earlier this year she also won Junior Disability Sportsperson of the year at the annual Hampshire & IOW Sports Awards.

The 17-year-old said: "The support from HTAS has been great. It's provided essential funding to enable me to get to this point as well as free use of my local leisure centres, which allows me to train during school holidays. It's really helped me to succeed in my sport."

Paralympian Olivia Breen, who went to school in East Hampshire, was the second youngest Team GB Paralympian at the London 2012 Games when she won bronze in the T38 4x100m sprint relay.

Now 20, Breen is tipped to be a star of the Paralympics as she goes in the T38 100m, long jump and relay.

In amongst all the excitement, and relief that Brazil have now sold more than 1.5m tickets, comes the sadness after Ringwood sprinter Bethany Woodward made allegations that some more able-bodied athletes are being wrongly classified to boost medal prospects.

The 23-year-old said: "I represented my country for a long time but if I can’t compete like I used to compete, because they’ve brought in people who are not like me in terms of disability, what’s the point?," said the cerebral palsy sufferer.

Woodward’s comments came after it emerged that UK Athletics is set to launch an inquiry into the classification of athletes following the conclusion of the Rio 2016 Paralympics.

But for the next fortnight the focus is likely to be on the joy of competing and more medals for GB.