Paralympic torch heading to London

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Paralympic torch was on Wednesday, Aug 29 heading to London in an overnight relay through the countryside of southern England, to arrive in the capital for the Games' traditional opening ceremony, AFP reports.

The Paralympic torch was lit at the spiritual home of disabled sport - Stoke Mandeville - on Tuesday evening and sent on a 92-mile journey southeast carried by 116 teams of five people.

Once in London, it will pass well-known landmarks such as Lord's cricket ground, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey and Tower Bridge, gradually heading east to the Olympic Stadium for the ceremony at 1930 GMT.

Queen Elizabeth was due to formally open the Games during a spectacular called "Enlightenment", billed as a "celebration of the inspirational spirit of the Paralympic Games that challenges perceptions of human possibility".

The British Paralympic Association (BPA) said earlier this year that the ceremony would be "groundbreaking in its inclusivity and innovative staging", showcasing deaf and disabled artists.

The ceremony has been created by artistic directors Jenny Sealey and Bradley Hemmings, both of whom have a long history of hosting live shows involving disabled performers.

More than 3,000 adults will be among the cast, as well as over 100 children and 100-plus professional performers, while "Aerobility", a British charity that trains disabled people to become pilots, will perform a fly-past, the BPA said.

The traditional curtain-raiser to 11 days of elite disability sport comes as the Games have been hailed as the biggest and most-high profile Paralympics since the inaugural edition in Rome in 1960.

A record 4,200 athletes, including an unprecedented number of women, are due to take part in 20 sports, with the event a near sell-out for the first time and due to be broadcast to millions worldwide.