Australian Paratriathlete Bill Chaffey, Brazilian football five-a-side star Jefferson da Conceicao Goncalves, Russia's sitting volleyball player Tatiana Ivanova and wheelchair dance sport athlete Illona Slugovyna of the Ukraine, are the other nominees on the shortlist for this month's award.

South African Sithole completed a memorable year at Flushing Meadows in New York after his 2-1 victory over world number one and home favourite David Wagner in the quads singles saw him become the first player from his continent to become a Grand Slam champion.

Earlier in the year, the 26-year-old also became the first African to win an International Tennis Federation (ITF) Super Series event with victory at the British Open in Nottingham.

Whitehead, 37, completed an epic journey which saw the London 2012 gold medallist run 1,000 miles from John O'Groats in Scotland to Lands End at the southern tip of England.

The double leg amputee, who became a two-time sprint world champion this year at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, ran 40 marathons in 40 days to complete his trek in aid of charities Sarcoma UK and Scope.

Chaffey shone again at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Paratriathlon World Championships in London's Hyde Park as he sealed his fourth world title to add to his wins in 2009, 2011 and 2012.

The 37-year-old left it late in London as he stormed passed the Netherlands' Jetze Plat with just 300 metres to go to clinch a thrilling race.

Brazil's Concalves was the sharpest shooter at the recent International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Copa America in Santa Fe, Argentina, which sawthem defeat the hosts after a penalty shoot-out.

Concalves, also known as Jefinho, bagged 12 of his country's 31 goals during the tournament to help the reigning Paralympic and world champions remain unbeaten at international tournaments since 1996.

Australia's Bill Chaffey made it four world titles in five years at the Paratriathlon World Championships in London