London 2012 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony Channel 4 cheekily piggybacked the national euphoria surrounding the London Olympic Games with the memorable line “thanks for the warm-up” on the approach to the Paralympics, which start tonight with the Opening Ceremony.
Its clever ads strongly reinforced the message that there’s nothing lesser about the Paralympics — these are tough contests fought by tough competitors.
The torch relay that began at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire, the inspiration for the first Paralympics, will end in the Olympic Stadium tonight as the cauldron is lit. More than 3,000 volunteers, both children and adults, will take part in a spectacular show highlighting the excellence of deaf and disabled artists, and there will be
a flypast by Aerobility, a charity that trains disabled people to become pilots.
Jon Snow and Krishnan Guru-Murthy present coverage from the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, east London, as the 14th edition of the Paralympic Games is declared open. The ceremony, entitled Enlightenment, has been designed to challenge perceptions of human possibility and showcase the achievements of British disabled artists and performers, including members of the charity Aerobility, who have overcome barriers to fly aircraft, and a group of people who acquired circus skills on a training course. The event also features a parade of athletes from each of the competing nations, before the arena's cauldron is lit by the Paralympic flame, marking the official start of the Games.
Presenter Jon Snow
Presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy
Radiotimes Ch4 coverage
