Ones to watch: The young North West hopefuls battling adversity to target LA 2028 Paralympic Games

• Blog and video report by Jack Hunter-Spivey and ITV Granada Reports sport correspondent David Chisnall.

Anya Waugh is only 17 but the teenager from Stalybridge has been wheelchair racing for a decade after falling in love with sport as a young girl.

Inspired by watching the London 2012 Paralympic Games she began her journey into sport at the age of six-years-old.

Anya says: "I loved seeing people like me compete. We found an advert for Sports Fest and you could try all these different Paralympic sports. I went and tried everything but racing was the one thing that really stuck."

"I think it's being able to be good at something and being on a track with people like you and who have got similar experiences like you. Growing up in a wheelchair and having the confidence to put myself out there in a way."

Anya was born with spina bifida and races in the T54 class. She's a multiple junior national champion and is now targeting the step up to seniors with the help of one of Britain's best.

For the last two years, the seven-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft has been her coach. She is confident Anya has what it takes to follow her success and go all the way to the top.

Hannah says: "Absolutely, Anya has put the work in for years now. I met Anya in 2013 when she was seven-years-old and here she is ten years later knocking on that door and ready to make that step up."

To reach that potential Anya now needs a new wheelchair. As an athlete without funding she's having to crowd fund to raise the £6,000 needed for a new one.

She says: "Soon as you out grow a chair that chair will start holding you back. This one is old so it's important that I do get a new one to be able to reach the full potential.

"I think no one does the sport for so long without having the end goal of the Paralympics. It's such a big goal that it's the end goal for every athlete."

Anya is targeting the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028 and so too is rising Para Table Tennis player Theo Bishop.

The 19-year-old from Rawtenstall has cerebral palsy. In 2012, Theo and his family raised £45,000 so that he could have an operation in America to help him walk. It was during his recovery from the surgery that he discovered table tennis.

Theo says: "When I was 9 years old I had an operation. While I was recovering I wasn't allowed to play any sport but I was allowed to play table tennis. So I started playing at school and went down to a local club and it snowballed from there and now I'm doing it everyday."

"As a para sport you can always adapt it to use your skills to the best of your ability and limit the amount your disability hinders you while playing."

Theo is now ranked 8th in the world in Class 7 at Under 23s and is a silver medallist at the European Youth Games.

Matjaz Sercer is the Pathway Coach at Great Britain Para Table Tennis and he believes Theo has the ability and mindset to be the best.

Matjaz says: "Yes I believe he's willing to do everything. He is dedicated to sport. He loves this sport and that for me is the best thing to make a champion."

Theo says: "I think I can go all the way. I want to be world number one, World champion and Paralympic champion."