Stoke Mandeville to ignite Paris 2024 Paralympic flame
The historic Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where the Paralympic Movement began in 1948, will once again play a central role as it lights the Paralympic Flame, marking the start of the Paris 2024 Torch Relay
Last updated 24th Aug 2024
Stoke Mandeville, renowned as the birthplace of the Paralympic Games, is set to once again play a pivotal role in the global sporting event as it ignites the Paralympic Flame on Saturday, August 24, 2024. This event will launch the torch relay for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, connecting the Games to its historic roots.
The flame will be lit by two distinguished British Paralympians—Helene Raynsford, who made history as the first Paralympic champion in Para rowing at Beijing 2008, and Gregor Ewan, a celebrated wheelchair curler and three-time Paralympian. Their participation underscores the significance of this moment, which marks the first lighting of the Paralympic Flame at Stoke Mandeville since the London 2012 Games.
Stoke Mandeville’s association with the Paralympics dates back to 1948 when Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, a pioneering neurologist, organized the Stoke Mandeville Games for World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries. Held at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital, these games were initially a modest archery competition featuring just 16 participants but quickly evolved into an annual event. Guttmann’s vision of using sport as a form of rehabilitation laid the foundation for what would eventually become the Paralympic Games, with the first official Paralympic Games held in Rome in 1960.
This year’s lighting ceremony not only symbolizes the beginning of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games but also serves as a tribute to the hospital’s enduring legacy in the world of adaptive sports. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC), ParalympicsGB, and WheelPower are committed to increasing global awareness of the pivotal role Stoke Mandeville and Sir Ludwig Guttmann played in the Paralympic Movement.
“Words cannot describe the honor of being chosen to light the Paralympic Flame alongside Gregor at the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement,” said Raynsford, who also chairs the ParalympicsGB Athletes’ Commission. “It will be a very special moment ahead of what will be a spectacular Paralympic Games.”
Following the lighting ceremony, the flame will make its way to France, where it will be symbolically divided into 12 flames in Calais, representing the 12 days of the Paralympic Games. These flames will journey across all regions of mainland France, bringing the spirit of the Paralympics to more than 50 towns and cities before culminating in Paris for the Games' official start on August 28.
The Stoke Mandeville lighting ceremony is a powerful reminder of the hospital’s role as the cradle of the Paralympic Movement. As the flame begins its journey to Paris, it carries with it the legacy of determination, resilience, and innovation that Stoke Mandeville has embodied since 1948, lighting the way for athletes and fans around the world to celebrate the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.