Miller, head of the men's team, is a triple Paralympic gold medallist while women's leader Hinton (pictured top) has three silver and three bronze medals across various track distances at the Games.

The pair spoke to their team-mates after being unveiled as captains to offer words of inspiration.

The competition is due to open here today.

"It's scary, but it's supposed to be," said Miller (pictured below), a 32-year-old from Newcastle who will be bidding for his sixth Paralympic medal at his fifth Games.

"You have to be nervous but use those emotions in a positive way.

"We've all made sacrifices to be here, but we only have one opportunity – now we have to take that opportunity.

"Everyone wants to go to Heaven but nobody wants to die.

"That's one of my favourite lines because it's the same in sport – success doesn't just happen, you have to work for it.

"Now, for all of us the time has come to go out and get it."

Hinton, 42, from Cardiff, was equally motivational in her words.

"Ever since it was announced that London would host the 2012 Paralympic Games it has been my ambition – and become my obsession – to represent ParalympicsGB in this home Games," Hinton told team members, including 28 first-time Paralympians.

"It's hard to believe that some of you were only seven or eight when we found out that London would be the host city, but now it's congratulations to all of you for being selected.

"After five Games there were times when I thought the door was closing on this opportunity for me, but we've all had our ups and downs.

"We've all jumped with joy and buried our faces in our hands.

"We all have our own individual dreams.

"The nation will get behind us whether we win or lose, but let's give them something to shout about; let's inspire a new generation of athletes like Mo [Farah] and Jess [Ennis] did during the Olympics."

"Get out there and create your own memories."

After finishing 18th in the Beijing 2008 medals table, the ParalympicsGB athletics team is aiming to finish eighth in London thanks to a target of 23 medals, including five to eight golds.

The team has been performing well in recent events, finishing third at the 2011International Paralympic (IPC) World Championships in New Zealand last January, and head coach Peter Eriksson (pictured above) talked up the chances of the team on home soil.

"The reason we were so good in New Zealand was because we communicated, we talked to one another, supported one another and we were well prepared," Eriksson told the team.

"When I started this job I really wanted to do something better and now we're really doing things better.

"This is the best team, and best staff, I've ever worked with.

"I'm proud to lead this team – it's an honour for me and it is an opportunity of a lifetime for all of us."

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