The 42-year-old from New York was paralysed from the waist down following a downhill skiing accident in 1992 but has since become one of the country's top Paralympic athletes.

Bascio competed in cross-country skiing in the Winter Paralympics at both Turin in 2006 and Vancouver in 2010 but she appears a major contender to finally get her hands on a medal at London 2012 in cycling after claiming two gold medals at the recent UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen with victories in the time trial and road race.

Her two gold helped America finish top of the medal table in Denmark and nine of the US riders who made the podium at the World Championships will be in Mexico for the Pan American Games, which Bascio feels will be the start of her road to gold medal success in London.

"I'm super-amped for the Pan American Games and looking forward to being a part of the Guadalajara event and checking it out and doing well," Bascio said.

"I'm looking forward to starting the next 10-month prep for Paralympic gold.

"Given all of the information that we're receiving from our coaches, it's like a mini-Paralympic Games.

"It definitely looks like it's on that calibre and in pretty large scale.

"We're definitely a strong contender and a strong force.

"We expect to be on the top.

"That's definitely my agenda."

The Parapan American Games, which are due to take place from November 12 until 20, will see more than 1,500 nations from 26 nations compete across 13 sports.

Guadalajara 2011 will be the fourth edition of the Parapan American Games which begun in Mexico City in 1999 and have been held every four years since although it was not until Rio in 2007 that they were held back-to-back with the Pan American Games; in the same city and venues.

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