Disabled athletes still have time to take up new sports and win gold medals at the 2012 Paralympics, says UK Sport's head of athlete development.
A talent search called Paralympic Potential is being launched with 1,000 days to go until the London Games.
"The ability to achieve a Paralympic Gold medal is a rare commodity," said UK Sport's Chelsea Warr.
"With hard work, dedication and the right coaching set up, we can make someone's dream a reality."
Research has shown that potential participants for a Paralympic Games can be ready to compete at an elite level much sooner than their Olympic counterparts.
In Beijing in 2008, 33% of British medallists had been part of their sports' elite programmes for less than two years and 15 of the 42 British gold medals were won by first time Paralympians.
 A new talent search hopes to find athletes like rower Smith
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ParalympicsGB chief executive, Phil Lane, said: "Whilst we have come second in the medal table at the past four Games, there are many events that we simply haven't been able to field an athlete in.
"With the competition getting tougher all the time it is vital that we have explored all avenues to recruit new athletes."
The new campaign hopes to find athletes like Dave Smith, who won a world rowing medal within 12 months of taking up the sport and who is now aiming for London 2012.
Smith's hopes of competing in bobsleigh at the able-bodied Winter Olympics were frustrated by a fused ankle, which is classed as a "minimal disability".
"The switch to Paralympic rowing was a challenge for me, and I'm improving all the time," said Smith, 31, from Dunfermline.
"I was delighted to become a world champion in my first season and am completely focused on achieving success in 2012."
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