The start of the Paralympic Torch Relay will begin in Buckinghamshire as Stoke Mandeville has been announced as the lighting point for all future Paralympic torches.
The decision was reached following an agreement between the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the British Paralympic Association (BPA), and Buckinghamshire County Council. The unanimous vote in support of the motion by the Buckinghamshire Council has set the stage for Stoke Mandeville to become a permanent part of the Paralympic tradition.
The 2024 Paralympics
The Paralympic Games, an international multi-sport event involving athletes with a range of disabilities, have long been a beacon of resilience, determination, and athletic prowess. The Paralympic Games, have grown from a small gathering of British World War II veterans in 1948 to a global event that draws thousands of athletes from around the world.
In 1944, the British government asked Dr Guttmann to open a spinal injuries centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Four years later, Guttmann organised the Stoke Mandeville Games, a competition for wheelchair athletes, held on the same day as the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in London. The games expanded to include international athletes, before eventually becoming known as the Paralympic Games for the 1960 summer Olympics in Rome.
The decision to establish a permanent home for the Paralympic flame underscores the event’s status and the recognition of the athletes’ spirit. The flame will be lit at Stoke Mandeville to recognise its legacy as the birthplace of the Paralympic movement and it will be used to light flames from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. It is hoped this will increase global awareness of Stoke Mandeville and Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who helped create and develop the Paralympic movement.
Responses
International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons said: “It is fitting that 75 years on from those historic first Stoke Mandeville Games… we are announcing that Stoke Mandeville will play an even greater role in all future editions of the Paralympic Games. The Paralympic Movement owes Stoke Mandeville and Sir Ludwig Guttmann a huge debt of gratitude”.
Sir Philip Craven, former President of the IPC said “we have always maintained that the Paralympic Flame is lit using the spirit and energy of physical human endeavour, and that is what it represents. That spirit and energy exist across the world, so to have a permanent location where it is lit would be slightly contradictory to that notion.”
Final thought
The permanent lighting of the Paralympic Flame at Stoke Mandeville marks a pivotal moment in the history of the Paralympic Games. The lighting of the Paralympic Flame is more than just a ceremonial act; it is a celebration of the strength of Paralympic athletes. This development is likely to enhance Stoke Mandeville’s role in the Paralympic Movement and contribute to the global understanding and celebration of the athletic abilities of individuals with disabilities.
Photo credit: paralympics.org.uk
