Beijing 2008 set a very high benchmark for future Paralympic Games, and one that at the time I thought would never be beaten. Nearly 4,000 athletes from 146 countries took part, while a cumulated worldwide audience of 3.8 billion watched on television.
However, I now truly believe that London 2012 is shaping up to be just as good as Beijing, if not better.
Eleanor Simmonds will be among the athletes aiming for glory at London 2012.
The Games are heading back to their spiritual home and London 2012 will be the biggest ever in terms of participants, with 4,200 athletes from 150 countries.
London also has the unique opportunity to be a truly global event - not just in terms of athletes and countries taking part - but spectators and TV viewers. The Paralympic Games will enjoy more UK airtime than ever before thanks to Channel 4 and BBC Radio, and overseas the Games will be broadcast in more territories than previous years.
Of course, sports for people with an impairment are not new. The first clubs were formed around the start of the 20th century, and in 1948 Sir Ludwig Guttman organised the first competition for wheelchair athletes.
The Stoke Mandeville Games, as they were called, were the forerunner to the Paralympic Games which first took place in Rome, Italy in 1960, featuring 400 athletes from 23 countries. Since then they have taken place every four years and grown in size and stature each time.
From a personal point of view, one of the most pleasing aspects about London 2012 is the enthusiasm for them, and in particular the two million tickets which go on sale on 9 September. More than one million people have already registered their interest in buying tickets, and we’ve also seen unprecedented demand from our international partners.
Tickets are also very affordable, with three quarters of them priced at £20 or less. This ticket revenue, combined with income from sponsorship and broadcast sales, will ensure that the London 2012 Paralympic Games are the most profitable yet.
On 8 September, the day before tickets go on sale, the London 2012 Organising Committee is staging International Paralympic Day in Trafalgar Square, an IPC event that will feature demonstrations in 10 out of the 20 Paralympic sports. Nearly 100 athletes will be in attendance including the likes of Eleanor Simmonds and Oscar Pistorius, giving the public a taste of what they can expect to see next year.
It’s shaping up to be a truly exciting year, building up to the London 2012 Paralympic Games which will quite simply be sport like never before. Our elite athletes will captivate billions around the world and ultimately help alter perceptions of what can be achieved by a person with an impairment.
