Celebrations at Newquay Sports Centre mark Paralympic Handover
Over 30 young people with disabilities from across Cornwall have taken up London 2012’s invitation to lead the celebrations and welcome the Paralympic Games home, on the day London Mayor Boris Johnson receives the Paralympic Flag during the Closing Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
Celebrations at Newquay Sports Centre started at 1.00pm on Wednesday 17th September with special guest local girl Cassie Patten, Olympic Bronze medalist in the 10KM open water swim opening procedures.
Inspired by the amazing performances by ParalympicsGB in Beijing, the young people celebrated Paralympic Handover by taking place in a a multi-sport festival including trampollining, table tennis, judo, boccia and basketball.
The legacy of this event will be the establishment of three new Paralympic Community Sports Clubs for disabled people in the county. Steve Hillman, Cornwall Sports Partnership Disability Development officer said: “Today is a great celebration of London 2012 taking over the Paralympic Games but more important to us in Cornwall is the legacy and how we can encorage young people with a disability to continue to play community sport and maybe one day participate in a Paralympic Games”.
Cornwall has had its own success in Beijing with our own Paralympic Swimmers Jonathan Fox achieving one silver and Matt Whorwood 2 bronze medals.
The festivities in Cornwall gave children and young people their first taste of the creativity and inspiration that will be found throughout the London 2012 domestic education programme called ‘Get Set’. A new interactive ‘Get Set’ website can be found at www.london2012.com/getset.
Tim Marrion, Manager of the Cornwall Sports Partnership said “In Cornwall the Paralympic Games is as important to us as the Olympic Games. Sport has a tremendous power to inspire us all – and nowhere is this more evident than during the Paralympic Games in Beijing where we have all been thrilled by our athletes. We wanted to celebrate the handover in our own way covering some of the Paralympic sports and encouraging more participation in the years leading up to the London 2012 Games by establishing are own multi sports Paralympic clubs”
For more information about disability sport and the Multi Sport Paralympic clubs please contact Steve Hillman, Cornwall Sports Partnership Disability Sport Development Officer Tel: 01872 323349 or Email:
shillman@cornwall.gov.uk