Great Britain's paralympians enter stadium to rapturous applause

We could be heroes: Great Britain's paralympians enter stadium to rapturous applause (and David Bowie classic)

• Two-time Paralympic GB wheelchair tennis champion Peter Norfolk led the British athletes into Olympic Stadium carrying the Union Jack flag
• David Bowie's hit song Heroes played as Paralympic GB enter stadium

By SUZANNAH HILLS

PUBLISHED: 22:59, 29 August 2012 | UPDATED: 08:02, 30 August 2012

Jubilant Paralympic GB athletes entered the Olympic Stadium to huge applause last night as the Games kicked off with a Big Bang.

The biggest ever British paralympic team entered the stadium to David Bowie's hit song Heroes as attending Royals including Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and The Queen led ! a standing ovation. 

Peter Norfolk - a two-time Paralympic wheelchair tennis champion - had the honour of proudly carrying the Union Jack flag in front of his teammates.

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Spectacular display: Paralympic GB were covered in blasts of confetti as they completed the athletes tour of the stadium last night

Standing ovation: Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William cheered on Paralympic GB as Princess Anne waved a flag

Heroes: Paralympic GB entered the stadium to the sound of huge applause and David Bowie's Heroes

Norfolk, 51, won gold in the quad singles at Athens and Beijing and will be looking to defend his title in London.

He also has two quad doubles Paralympics medals, a silver from Athens and a bronze from Beijing.

Norfolk said:! 'I'm abs! olutely blown away to be selected as the British flag bearer for the opening ceremony. It was a huge surprise when I was told and I feel it is a very great honour.

Honour: Wheelchair tennis champion Peter Norfolk led Paralympic GB out in to the stadium holding the Union Jack flag

Setting sights high: The 300 Paralympi! c GB athl! etes hope to reach second place in the medal table - which they have managed to achieve in the last three games

A champions' welcome: Paralympic GB were given a standing ovation as they entered the stadium 

Dream come true: Wheelchair tennis player Peter Norfolk, who has won gold in the squad singles in Athens and Beijing, had the honour of holding the Union Jack flag

Party time: Paralympic GB wheelchair rugby player David Anthony makes the most of the atmosphere during the Opening Ceremony

'I'm really looking forward to competing in the London 2012 Paralympic Games, and I'm eager to get to the Village and Eton Manor and get going now.

'I can feel the excitement is really building as everyone is talking about the Games and getting behind the athletes wishing them luck.

'I'm very! humbled ! to lead in the Paralympics GB team that I'm sure can make Great Britain very, very proud.

Special tribute: The Republic of Korea team hold up the Union Jack Flag ahead of the Paralympic GB athletes entering the stadium

Athlete Ctyu Dae Kim from the Republic of Korea carries the Union Jack flag during the Opening Ceremony

Colourful: Swimmer Daniela Schulte, carrying the German flag, leads a colourful procession of German paralympians

Celebration: Delighted German athletes wave flags and dance around the stadium

Looking sharp: Wheelchair rugby player Greg Smith carries the Australian flag in front of his smartly-dressed teammates who all wore suits

Leading the pack: Australian wheelchair rugby player Greg Smith leads his teammates around the stadium

'This will be my first opening ceremony as my playing schedules have meant I missed the other two so this will be an especially magical moment for me.'

The Paralympians parade was launched by powerlifter Mohammad Fahim Rahimi, who carried the flag for Afghanistan, to upbeat music by the Chemical Brothers.

He was followed by 4,300 athletes from 166 countries who made the iconic tour of! the stad! ium - signalling the start of 11 days of competition.

Hopeful: Swimmer Guillermo Marro carries the Argentinian flag in front of Paralympic hopefuls

Wearing the colours of the flag: Cameroonian athletes parade during the opening ceremony

Big hopes: Athletes from China enter the stadium waving Union Jack flags to huge cheers

Proud: Wheelchair Rugby player Garrett Hichling carries the Canadian flag during the Opening Ceremony Paralympians parade

Leading the way: South Africa's runner Oscar Pistorius leads his team carrying the flag during the Opening Ceremony

The athletes and the crowd were jubilant with medal hopefuls dancing their way around the stadium to the delight of the cheering crowds.

The 300 Paralympic GB athletes, wearing their specially designed outfits, are aiming for double the number of medals won during the Olympics.

The team hopes to win between 95 and 145 medals and second place in the medal table - which they have achieved at the last three Games.

Craig Hunter, chef de mission of Paralympics GB, said: 'It will be a hugely competitive Games but the spirit in the team is such that everyone wants to walk away with a medal around their neck.

On target: Six-time paralympic shooting medallist Doron Shaziri carries the Israel flag at the head of his team

Momentous moment: Swimmer Keiichi Kimura holds up the Japanese flag as he leads his fellow paralympians through the stadium

Cheered on: The Ireland team led by Cathal Miller with the flag entered the stadium to delighted applause

Big grins: The Ireland team can't help their delighted smiles as they enter the stadium

'Team GB did us proud and every single Paralympic athlete wants to be on the podium and share in the glory.

'We have supremely talented athletes in all the sports with the ability to win medals.' 

With huge demand for tickets, the Paralympics are, like the Olympics, expected to be one of the most successful Games ever.

More than 2.4 million tickets have already been sold - half a million of those to overseas visitors. Ten thousand tickets will be available each day during the event and the Games are on course to be the first Paralympics to sell out.

As the athletes settled, soprano Denise Leigh performed a tribute song - Spirit In Motion - commissioned especially with the motto of the Paralympics movement in mind.

Leading the way: Athlete Gino De Keersmaeker of Belgium carries the flag ahead of his fellow athletes

Ecstatic: Powerlifter Faris Al-Ajeeli of Iraq carries the flag for his country

From around the globe: Iranian Paralympians, left, wave flags as they make their way around the stadium and a member of Belgium's paralympic team, right, has a dog sitting on her lap as she tours the stadium 

Mexican wave: Athletes from Mexico wear brightly coloured ponchos and hats as they wave to the cheering crowds

Deaf actor Deepa Shastri signed the lyrics.

It came after the Opening Ceremony presented by Professor Stephen Hawking exploded with the Big Bang in front of more than a billion viewers.

Sir Ian McKellan then portrayed Prospero from the Tempest before Professor Hawking guided the audience and Miranda, a character from The Tempest, through 'the wonders of science' in a variety of narratives inspired by his seminal tome A Brief History of Time.

The cast also includes past Paralympians and injured soldiers. More than 3,000 adult volunteers took part in the ceremony, along with more than 100 children and a professional cast of 100.

Disabled genius: In his instantly-recognisable computerised voice, Britain's greatest living scientist told the audience, 'Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist'

Off with a bang: The London 2012 Paralympic Games was given an explosive launch with the Big Bang

Under my umbrella: Artists perform with umbrellas to Rihanna's hit song of the same name during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympics

Co-artistic director Bradley Hemmings said: 'Our talks with Stephen Hawking began towards the end of last year.

'We worked very closely with Professor Hawking to develop a series of messages which are very much integrated into the storytelling of the ceremony. We have spent time with him in Cambridge and have been so incredibly gratified with him giving his time.

'Everybody knows about Professor Hawking and his extraordinary theoretical work and writings about science which have made very complex ideas accessible to all of us, but what came through in our meetings with him was the humanity and the humour of him. He is a fun guy.'

The show, called Enlightenment, which features will later urge the 62,000-strong crowd to take part in the world's largest 'apple crunch' as each spectator is given an apple to bite at the same time.

The show, called Enlightenment, is expected to urge the 62,000-strong crowd to take part in the world's largest 'apple crunch' as each spectator is given an apple to bite at the same time

Royal approval: Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Anne and Samantha Cameron watch the opening ceremony

Flying the flag: Servicemen and women from th! e Army, R! oyal Navy and Royal Air Force raise the Union Flag during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympics

Celebrating brilliance: A host of deaf and disabled artists, local children and performers, all newly trained in circus skills, featured in the show

London 2012 creative director Stephen Daldry said: 'This is about challenging perceptions, challenging about who we are.'

London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton, speaking about the success of the Paralympics, said: 'We've tried to get as many people in as we reasonably can.

'This is a wonderful illustration of how the British public have said we love the Paralympics and want to be part of it.'

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: 'For many Brits, this will be the first time they have seen the Paralympic Games at all.