Redgrave won an unprecedented five consecutive rowing gold medals while wheelchair athlete Grey Thompson collected 11 Paralympic golds, set 30 world records and won six London marathons.

 

They will combine to advise eight British athletes regarded as excellent prospects for next year's Beijing Olympics and Paralympics and a further eight with hopes of competing in the 2012 London Games.

 

Selected by Redgrave and Grey Thompson, the 12 able-bodied and four athletes with a disability, will join the exclusive sponsorship programme designed to help them prepare for the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

 

"We feel that they have got the ability to be Olympic champions and Olympic medallists," Redgrave said.

 

"It's the mental side of it so when you go to something like the Olympic Games and get through to the Olympic finals.

 

"Most of the athletes have got the same sort of ability, they have done the same sort of training.

 

"So what makes the difference between winning and losing? It's very much down to strength of mind.

 

"There's a whole mixture of different things."

 

Grey-Thompson said she had made mistakes in the early part of her career which could have been avoided with the help of a mentor.

 

"Training hard rather than training smart," she said.

 

"It's not about beating yourself up every single time you go out.

 

"Dealing with governing bodies, sports administration, I think when you're young it's quite hard to deal with and understand the systems.

 

"The system of British sport is quite complicated."

 

European 5,000 metres silver medallist Mo Farah, one of Britain's few prospective track medallists in Beijing next year, said the scheme was a great chance to meet athletes from other sports.

 

"There are so many guys who are good at different sports which I didn't have a clue about," he said.

 

"You talk to them and they tell you about their training."

 

The sixteen athletes in ‘Team Visa’ include eight "Hopefuls" who are regarded as realistic contenders for Great Britain’s Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic team, and eight "Apprentices" who have demonstrated outstanding potential as prospective Olympians in time for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

 

British Olympic Association’s chief executive Simon Clegg said: "We are delighted that Visa, a worldwide Olympic partner, has chosen to support some of our finest athletes as they prepare for the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games.

 

"isa has been a tremendous support to the British Olympic Association and the Olympic Movement as a whole, and we feel privileged that we were able to assist in making this particular initiative a reality.

 

"‘Team Visa’ allows athletes of all ages and backgrounds to come together and share their experiences, questions and views.

 

"Such programmes can only benefit Team GB as a whole and assist in ensuring our athletes receive the best possible preparations for future Olympic Games.”

 

The "Hopefuls" are Mo Farah (athletics), Paul Goodison (sailing), Caitlin McClatchey (swimming), Fiona Pennie (canoeing) and Beth Tweddle (gymnastics).

 

The "Apprentices" are: Chris Adcock and Gaby White (badminton), Aaron Cook (taekwondo), Thomas Daley (diving) and Paul Drinkhall and Darius Knight (table tennis).