Paralympic Flame lit ahead of 24-hour torch relay

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, Britain - London Paralympic Flame was ignited in Stoke Mandeville village prior to a 24-hour torch relay on Tuesday night.

Up to 3,000 people attended the ceremony at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the spiritual home of the Paralympic Movement, to witness the Flame and the start of the 24-hour torch relay.

Welsh torchbearer Marsha Wiseman carries the Paralympic flame into Stoke Mandeville Stadium during the torch relay ceremony in Buckinghamshire Aug 28, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

At about 7.45pm, the "national flames", lit by groups of young disabled and non-disabled Scouts on August 22 on the four highest mountain peaks in Scotland (Ben Nevis), Wales (Snowdon), England (Scafell Pike) and Northern Ireland (Slieve Donard), were carried into the Stadium by torchbearers, four of whom united the flames in a celebration cauldron to create the Paralympic Flame.

During the event, Eva Loeffler, the daughter of Dr Ludwig Guttman - the founding father of the Stoke Mandeville Games - paid tribute to the role the Games had in defining the modern Paralympic Movement. 64 years ago, on the same day as the start of the 1948 London Olympic Games, Guttman organized the first Stoke Mandeville Games for disabled personnel on which was regarded as the origin and inspiration for the Paralympics.

The Flame is being carried over a total of 92 miles through 24 communities by 116 teams of five people to lead the UK into the start of the Paralympic Games as the cauldron is lit tomorrow night at the opening ceremony at London Olympic Stadium.

The first team of torchbearers having departed from Stoke Mandeville Stadium on the 24-hour relay were chosen by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and are all Paralympians, who included Sir Philip Craven, President of the IPC.

Ahead of tonight's event, each of the national flames spent time in its respective capital city - London, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff - visiting hospitals, local youth groups, arts and sports centres before being taken to Stoke Mandeville.

The London 2012 Paralympic Games, running from August 29 to September 9, will bring together 4,200 athletes from 166 countries and regions to compete in 503 medal events from 20 sports.