London 2012 blog

I was invited to speak at a meeting at the London 2012 headquarters today to give a brief overview of the Paralympic Games to date.

So it was one of life's very nice surprises to find out that I was also there to see one of the meetings rooms had been named after me. It made me really proud.

I've been involved in every Paralympic Games from Tokyo 1964 onwards. Until 1988 we had to multi-sport, so I've competed in Swimming, Track, Table Tennis and ultimately became a fencer (when I was too old to compete and win as a Swimmer).

I was also captain of the first Women's Wheelchair Basketball team at the age of 41. My last Games was Barcelona, when I finished fourth and decided it was time to quit. But I still wanted to be involved and was Fencing team manager in 1996 and 2000.

When London won the bid to host the Games I felt sheer elation. There are no words to describe how unique it is to compete at such a high level on your home ground.

It will lift every British athlete and provide a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Even athletes who compete at other Games either before or after will find something special about being in front of a home crowd.

I have no doubt that the transport, accommodation, catering, venues for the 2012 Games will be excellent.

What I'd really like see is to make sure the public are going through the doors during the Paralympic Games - that's what makes the atmosphere great for the athletes, really spurs them on.

Pictured below I'm with Tony Sainsbury (Head of Paralympics) and Terry Miller (General Counsel) holding a photo of me (a few years ago!) in front of 'my' room at 2012.



Editor's note: Caz Walton joins a host of other Olympic and Paralympic athletes whose names grace the meeting rooms on the 23rd floor: other Paralympic names are Boldt, a single leg amputee who was competing in major Canadian national championships in the late '70s; and Fantato, an Italian archer who competed in the Italian Olympic team and then a few weeks later in the Italian Paralympic team.