Paralympic Torchbearers Announced

“It is incredible hearing the inspirational stories of the teams and individuals that have been selected to carry the Paralympic Flame.”

With just two months to go until the 24-hour Paralympic Torch Relay begins at Stoke Mandeville on 28 August, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) on Thursday (28 June) confirmed some further inspirational Torchbearers who have been chosen to carry the Paralympic Flame.

The Torchbearers announced were successful through the public nomination campaigns run by BT, Lloyds TSB and Sainsbury’s. They all sought to find teams and individuals from across the UK that who have demonstrated the Paralympic values of courage, determination, equality and inspiration.

One of the Torchbearers confirmed, Mike Mackenzie, sustained spinal-cord injuries in 1993 whilst working for an aid agency in Bosnia. He has helped to raise £750,000 for spinal injury and blind charities.

On Sunday, this team unveiled a life-sized cast-bronze statue of Ludwig "Poppa" Guttmann, sculpted by Torchbearer Mark Jackson, which will stand at Stoke Mandeville Stadium during the Games. In 1948, Dr Ludwig Guttmann organised a wheelchair archery competition at Stoke Mandeville hospital for World War II soldiers with spinal cord injuries. Four years later more sports were added and the international Paralympic Movement was born.

The team also presented a bronze bust of Dr Guttmann to Sir Philip Craven MBE, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The bust will be loaned by the IPC to all future host nations of the Paralympic Games as a symbol of remembrance of Professor Guttmann's achievements.

Robert Taylor, another Torchbearer, is 15 years old and lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which currently has no cure and causes his muscles to weaken over time. However, he maintains the attitude that sometimes you just have to do things differently and has kayaked in Scotland, plays the guitar and taken up archery.

Taylor attends Acorns Children`s Hospice, a charity offering a network of care for life limited and life threatened children and young people who are not expected to reach adulthood. These children and young people can require specialist care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Seb Coe, LOCOG Chair, said: “It is incredible hearing the inspirational stories of the teams and individuals that have been selected to carry the Paralympic Flame. Whether they have been together for years or have been brought together around a common story, they have all demonstrated how they are living the Paralympic values of courage, determination, inspiration and equality.”

Torchbearer Martin McElhatton played Wheelchair Basketball for Great Britain in the 1984 Games and is now Chief Executive of WheelPower, an organisation which was founded by Dr Guttmann and is based at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium. WheelPower is the national organisation for wheelchair sport in the United Kingdom, and aims to help people with disabilities improve their quality of life.

Fellow Torchbearer Chris Channon MBE also competed in 1984 and won a Paralympic medal. Chris has since been a regular volunteer member of the Notts Police’s Disability Advisory Group and developed a system which is used by police forces to help those with spoken communication issues to contact the police.

Torchbearer Arun Patel set up the Polio Children charity which has raised over £1,000,000 and helped thousands of children.

Alexandra Blunt is part of the Youth Advisory Board of the National Deaf Children`s Society and has helped inform both strategic direction of the charity.

And as a judo coach for the last 15 years, Burt has taught disabled and able bodied children with behavioural problems has also been actively involved in coaching the Welsh disabled team.

Seb Coe, LOCOG Chair, said: “It is incredible hearing the inspirational stories of the teams and individuals that have been selected to carry the Paralympic Flame. Whether they have been together for years or have been brought together around a common story, they have all demonstrated how they are living the Paralympic values of courage, determination, inspiration and equality.”

Suzi Williams, Director, BT Group Marketing and Brand, added: “At BT we’ve supported the Paralympics for decades. We understand the awesome power of Paralympic sport to inspire all of us, and that’s why we’ve brought teams of amazing people together to carry the Flame this summer. This is their moment to be at the heart of a once in a lifetime experience.”

As part of a new concept for the Paralympic Torch Relay, a Flame will be lit in each of London, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff. These four Flames will then be united at the Paralympic Flame Lighting Ceremony at Stoke Mandeville, the spiritual home of the Paralympic Movement, to create the London 2012 Paralympic Flame.

580 of the selected Torchbearers will carry the Paralympic Flame as part of one of the teams of five who will take it on the 24-hour overnight journey from Stoke Mandeville to the Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The remaining 40 Torchbearers will carry the Flame at the three Flame Festivals and at the Paralympic Flame Lighting Ceremony.

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London 2012 Paralympic Torch