PARALYMPICS LONDON 2012: Organisers reveal details of flame lighting and torch relay

By Sportsbeat staff, London 2012

LONDON 2012 organisers have revealed how the Paralympic flame will be lit, with the start of the Games exactly two weeks away.

DETAILS: London 2012 organisers have revealed details about the lighting of the Paralympic flame - and it's journey to the opening ceremony in exactly two weeks

Next Wednesday groups of young disabled and non-disabled Scouts will climb the highest peaks in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to create four national flames.

At the summit of Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Slieve Donard they will strike a ferrocerium rod against a rough steel surface to create the sparks that will light the flame.

The flame will then by placed in a miner's lantern and transferred to the respective capital of each home nation for a day of Paralympic celebrations.

Each flame will then be taken to Stoke Mandeville, the spiritual home of the Paralympic movement, for a special ceremony exactly 24 hours before the start of the Games where they will emerge to create the Paralympic flame.

A 24-hour overnight relay - involving 16 teams of five torchbearers - will then take the torch to the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday August 29th.

"We have created a unique identity for the Paralympic torch relay which will be a celebration of courage, determination, inspiration and equality that every Paralympian represents," said London 210 chairman Seb Coe.

"By creating the four flames through human endeavour at the four highest peaks in the UK we will ensure that the spirit of each home nation is represented in the Paralympic flame."

© Sportsbeat 2012