Peter Vidmar, the double Olympic gymnastics champion from 1984, will take the equivalent role at the Olympics.

"Peter and Aimee are both natural leaders and accomplished athletes, said the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) chairman, Larry Probst.

"They know firsthand the needs of Olympians and Paralympians and the pressures they will face at the Games.

"Team USA will be well-served by these two extraordinary individuals, and on behalf of the USOC, I'd like to thank them for taking on this responsibility."

Mullins, a 35-year-old from Pennsylvania, was President of the Women's Sports Foundation from 2007-08 and is current trustee for the organisation.

She made a groundbreaking achievement at Georgetown University where she competed as the first-ever amputee on an NCAA Division I track team.

Mullins was also the first person in the world to be outfitted with woven carbon-fibre prostheses of the kind used by Oscar Pistorius, modelled after the hind legs of a cheetah.


She set world records in the 100m and 200m and the long jump, and represented Team USA at the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta.

"Sport gives us all a platform upon which we explore our dreams and test the limits of our will, and I'm humbled and excited for the opportunity to share my experience and provide encouragement to fellow Team USA athletes as Chef de Mission of Team USA for the Paralympic Games," said Mullins.

"Paralympic athletes are a testament to both athletic excellence and the potential of the human body, and I respect the steps that the USOC has taken to put Paralympians on the same stage as their Olympic counterparts.

"I look forward to further integration in the lead up to the London Games and beyond."

Mullins said she had special memories of the British capital - and not least because of their Games bid.

"London is like a second home to me for a number of reasons," she said.

"I had a lot of my personal competition triumphs in London.

"And in fact they contacted me to try and recruit me for their Olympic bid.

"I had to remind them that New York were also in the running for those Games!

"I'm sure my lease would have been terminated if I had joined the London bid before giving New York City the best fighting chance of claiming the Games for themselves!

"We are going to have around 150 hours of television programming of the 2012 Paralympics.

"That is the best media coverage the Paralympics have ever had.

"The quality of talent in the Paralympics has gone through the roof in recent years – since I retired, thankfully!

"I think the world is incredibly hungry for more coverage of the Paralympics.

"I think we are going to get that in London.

"We always have high hopes for the US team when it comes to earning medals.

"But the ethos and essence of the Games is about personal excellence.

"So while we certainly love our medals, Peter [Vidmar] and I will be doing all we can to provide the framework and the support for US athletes to reach their personal goals in London."

A passionate advocate for revolutionary thinking about body image, Mullins has built a lateral career in acting and as a consultant on innovative thinking, for which she is invited around the world to speak on a range of issues.

Through all of her accomplishments, Mullins is best known for changing the world of prosthetics and the way people perceive athletes with unique bodies.

She has modelled for the late British fashion designer Alexander McQueen and been named one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People.

Her iconic status as a muse in the worlds of art and fashion led to her selection in February as the global brand ambassador for L'Oreal Paris.

The author of numerous articles, Mullins' writings have been published worldwide and she serves on boards of various non-profit organisations, most recently as a founding member of the leadership board of SPIRE Institute.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]