Mullins Selected as U.S. Chef de Mission for London 2012

The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) has selected retired Paralympian Aimee Mullins as its Chef de Mission of Team USA for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Selected by the USOC board of directors, Mullins will provide overall leadership to Team USA and function as the liaison officer between the London Organizing Committee (LOCOG), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and other National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) at the Games.

President of the Women's Sports Foundation from 2007-08 and a current trustee for the organization, Mullins has found both success and fame in sport. An athlete her entire life, Mullins made a groundbreaking achievement at Georgetown University where she competed as the first-ever amputee on an NCAA Division I track team.

She was also the first person in the world outfitted with woven carbon-fibre prostheses modeled after the hind legs of a cheetah, set world records in the 100m, 200m and Long Jump, and represented Team USA at the Atlanta1996 Paralympic Games. Through all of her accomplishments, she is best known for changing the world of prosthetics and the way people perceive athletes with unique bodies.

Speaking about her appointment Aimee Mullins said: “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.

"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."

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. 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 organizations, most recently as a founding member of the leadership board of SPIRE Institute.

The USOC also announced that USOC Managing Director of U.S. Paralympics Joe Walsh will fill the role of Chef de Mission of Team USA for the 2011 Parapan American Games which take place this November in Mexico.

The London 2012 Paralympic Games will take place between 29 August and 9 September 2012.