Paralympic torch makes its way to France via Channel Tunnel
It'll arrive in Paris ahead of the opening ceremony on Wednesday.
Last updated 25th Aug 2024
Following the lighting ceremony in Stoke Mandeville, the Paralympic torch will make it's way- via the Channel Tunnel- to Paris to mark the start of the games.
2\4 British athletes will travel alongside the flame through the tunnel, starting off at Folkestone, before they'll be joined halfway by 24 French athletes to hand over the flame.
When it eventually arrives over in Calais, it'll be split into 12 separate torches that will journey across France- this is called "the Forerunners Relay".
Helen Raynsford- who trains at Guildford rowing club- and Gregor Ewan lit the Paralympic flame.
Helen was the first ever Paralympic champion in Para-rowing at Beijing 2008, while Mr Ewan is a three-time Paralympian in wheelchair curling.
Prior to the Paralympic Flame lighting, attendees witnessed the premiere of a short film which will play out at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony on Wednesday.
Produced by Emmy Award-winning Harder Than You Think, the film highlights the evolution of the Paralympic Movement since its creation at Stoke Mandeville in 1948.
The flame will also visit Lyon, and Lorient- home to double Paralympic sailing gold medallist Damien Seguin.
The cauldron in Paris will be lit when all 12 flames return to the city on Wednesday.
The games run for 11 days with more than 4,000 athletes from around the world competing in 549 medal events across 22 sports.
Stoke Mandeville is the permanent lighting point for all Paralympic torches, in the same way the Olympic Flame is kindled at Olympia in Greece.
Sir Ludwig Guttmann organised the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948, a competition for wheelchair athletes, held on the same day as the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in London.
The first games were called the 1948 International Wheelchair Games, and were intended to coincide with the 1948 Olympics.
Guttman's aim was to create an elite sports competition for people with disabilities that would be equivalent to the Olympic Games.
Since then, it's evolved into the Paralympic games we all know and love!
Hear the latest news on Downtown on FM, DAB, smart speaker or the Rayo app.