Archer Mick Beard and table tennis player David Wetherill say they are ready to compete at this month's Paralympics in Beijing.

Beard, 44, and Wetherill, 18, are both making their Paralympic debuts.

Beard took up archery after developing a spinal problem while Wetherill plays in Devon's able-bodied league.

"I'm hoping to win gold," said Beard. "I've shot scores this year that would rank me fourth in the world. "In head-to-head ties anything can happen."

Beard saw archery at the 2004 Paralympics and decided he would give it a go.

"Because I'm disabled I thought it might actually be a sport I could take up myself," he told BBC Spotlight.

Mick Beard took up archery after seeing it at the 2004 Paralympics

Wetherill plays against able bodied players in Plymouth to help his speed on the table.

"Disabled players are so clever. It's really tactical, but obviously it helps playing against able-bodied players because I have to think quicker to make up for my lack of movement," he said.

Table tennis is a national obsession in China, and Wetherill says he is looking forward to the prospect of playing in front of sell-out crowds.

"I've played European Championships and World Championships but it's going to be nothing like China. I don't know how to react to it. I think I'll love it," he said.

Archery begins with a ranking shoot on Tuesday, 9 September, while the table tennis gets underway Sunday, 7 September.