The thinking behind the Paralympic Torch Relay
Our journey to today’s Paralympic Torch Relay announcement began a couple of years ago with a blank flipchart, and a room filled with Paralympians, creative minds and some of the most influential people within the Paralympic Movement.
A series of simple questions started to form the backbone for what you see today. What do you want the UK Paralympic Torch Relay to be? What do you want people to remember as a result?
The answers came quickly. To design a new type of Paralympic Torch Relay that gives the Paralympic Movement the unique voice it deserves. And encourage everyone to believe that anyone can do anything.
Cue another blank piece of paper and some very late nights…telling a creative team that they have to generate some new ideas is like opening a box of your favourite chocolates. One simply isn’t enough! Fairly quickly we hit upon ways to make the Paralympic Torch Relay different and unique, and through working with stakeholders and partners, we have been able to refine the concept to what you see today.
The Paralympic Games is a triumph of the energy of the human spirit and we wanted to recognise this in creating the Paralympic Flame. So, on consecutive days over the Bank Holiday weekend in August next year, each nation of the UK will host a unique lighting event that will use the power of human energy to ignite a flame.
Each of the four Flames will be taken to Stoke Mandeville where they will be joined together in a special ceremony to create the Paralympic Flame. The Paralympic Flame will then journey from Stoke Mandeville to London on a 24-hour Torch Relay to the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games.
In another point of difference we wanted to highlight some of the amazing things that can be achieved through teamwork whilst showcasing some of the best teams in the UK. Therefore the Paralympic Flame will be carried by teams of Torchbearers during the 24-hour Relay to London. People across the UK will be encouraged to nominate inspirational teams that are living the Paralympic Values.
Full of energy
Today we also launch the emblem for the Paralympic Torch Relay. Full of energy with the Flame bursting out of the 2012 logo, the predominant colour is blue. Why? Because the hottest, strongest, brightest part of a flame is blue (think Bunsen burner experiments in secondary school chemistry.)
This is a really exciting milestone for us as we can finally remove the ‘top secret’ stamp from our ideas and see what people think. It has been a great journey so far but there is still a lot more to do to be ready to go in August 2012.
Be sure to keep an eye on the Paralympic Torch Relay web pages for updates on Torchbearer nomination processes and more ways you can get involved over the coming months.
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About the Author (Author Profile)
London 2012’s ambition is to create a Games for everyone, where everyone is invited to take part, join in and enjoy the most exciting event in the world.
London 2012 will create the most accessible and participative Games. It will touch people as it has never done before, stimulating people to do more and to try new things and reassess what we are all capable of.
London 2012 has sport at its heart and London at the centre, but it is more than London and more than sport. It is a Games for London, the UK and the rest of the world, for sport and culture, for volunteers and business.
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