The American, who competed at five Paralympic Games from 1984 until Sydney 2000 in athletics, is to pick up the racket instead.

"He's the number one wheelchair athlete in the world as javelin, shot put and discus," said Brian Heir, Douglas' brother to CBS News.

"Now he's gonna do it in ping-pong and table tennis. 

"What could be better?"

International Paralympic Committee records show Heir did not win a gold medal at any Games in discus, taking two in the shot put and one in javelin at the Los Angeles 1984 and Barcelona 1992 Paralympics respectively.

He claimed one silver and one bronze in shot put, one silver in pentathlon, three shot put silvers and two silvers and a bronze in javelin.

"I don't know how far it's going to go," added Douglas Heir.

"I think I'm ranked 20th in the world right now, which is pretty good."

According to the International Table Tennis Federation Para Table Tennis world rankings, Heir does not appear on the list; however, he could be referring to an age group world ranking.

In a 2003 biography, Heir claims he won 236 gold medals in a row, although no context was given for this.

"Doug has won more gold medals than any man on Earth," read his biography.

This claim has not been verified.

He also claims to be the "only person in history to ever break the world and Olympic records and win medals at five consecutive Paralympics." 

Although not verifiable and no clear understanding in what category these were in, the closest verified to that mark is the most-successful Paralympian of all-time, American swimmer Trischa Zorn, who set records at four consecutive Games while claiming medals at six straight Paralympics.