The Paralympic Flame will be taken on an overnight journey on 28 August from Stoke Mandeville to the Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games.
The Torchbearers have been chosen through the public nomination campaigns run by BT, Lloyds TSB and Sainsbury’s, having demonstrated the Paralympic Values of courage, determination, equality and inspiration.
LOCOG Chair Seb Coe said: 'It is incredible hearing the inspirational stories of the teams and individuals that have been selected to carry the Paralympic Flame.
'Whether they have been together for years or have been brought together around a common story, they have all demonstrated how they are living the Paralympic Values.'
One of the Torchbearers confirmed today, Robert Taylor, is 15 years old and lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which currently has no cure and causes his muscles to weaken over time. However he maintains the attitude that sometimes you just have to do things differently and has kayaked in Scotland, plays the guitar and taken up archery. Robert is carrying the Flame as part of a team from Acorns Children`s Hospice, a charity offering a specialist care to children and young people who are not expected to reach adulthood.
Improving quality of life
Martin McElhatton played Wheelchair Basketball for Great Britain in the 1984 Games and is now Chief Executive of WheelPower, an organisation which was founded by Dr Guttmann and aims to help people with disabilities improve their quality of life.
Alexandra Blunt is part of the Youth Advisory Board of the National Deaf Children`s Society and has helped inform both strategic direction of the charity, while as a judo coach for the last 15 years Andrew Burt has taught disabled and able-bodied children with behavioural problems and has also been involved in coaching the Welsh disabled team.
New Torch Relay concept
As part of a new concept for the Paralympic Torch Relay, flames will be lit in London, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff. These four Flames will then be united at the Paralympic Flame Lighting Ceremony at Stoke Mandeville, the spiritual home of the Paralympic Movement, to create the London 2012 Paralympic Flame.
Five-hundred and eighty of the selected Torchbearers will then carry the Paralympic Flame as part of one of the teams of five who will take it on the 24-hour overnight journey from Stoke Mandeville to the Olympic Stadium. The remaining 40 Torchbearers will carry the Flame at the three Flame Festivals and at the Paralympic Flame Lighting Ceremony.
Find the full media release
Find out more about the Torchbearers
