Paralympic Flame Festival Planned For August

Submitted by edg on Mon, 21 May '12 7.45pm

Events to mark the start of the London 2012 Paralympic Games during Edinburgh's Festivals in August are taking shape it was announced today, 100 days before the start of the Games.

The only Scottish Flame Festival event, being held by The City of Edinburgh Council and its partners on 26 August, will start in the morning with the Paralympic flame being lit at the Agitos on the Mound, after which the Flame will be taken to Meadowbank, where several disability sports clubs will be holding a come and try session.

In the evening, a Flame Festival celebration will be held in Inverleith Park including music and entertainment.

A procession of past, present and future athletes will carry the flame to light a cauldron on stage at the end of the evening.

Lord Provost Donald Wilson said: "As Paralympian athletes and hopefuls across the UK start the final 100-day countdown to the London 2012 Games, our events team is working hard to lay on an unforgettable Flame Festival celebration this summer. The event will take place at the very height of Festival season when the city will be positively buzzing with life and excitement - it really couldn't be a better time to showcase Edinburgh and Scotland as a whole to a vast international audience as the world looks forward to the Paralympic Games."

Edinburgh resident Sam Ingram, 26, (Judo -90kg) won a bronze medal in Beijing 2008 and will be competing at his second Paralympics. Although born in England, Sam has lived and trained in Edinburgh for many years and is currently supported through the sportscotland Institute of Sport.

Scottish Disability Sport Chief Executive Officer, Gavin MacLeod said the Paralympics offer "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to showcase disability sport.

"This will undoubtedly result in unprecedented profile for disability sport, the birth of a new generation of sporting role models and demand for access to opportunities from an inspired population of potential athletes and players," he said.

More details of the Paralympic Flame Festival will be posted on the Events Edinburgh website as available.

Throughout the day today, the Big Screen in Festival Square (Scotland's only Olympic Live Site) will broadcast 40 short films featuring Paralympian athletes.