The final Paralymic cauldron has been lit in Cardiff ahead of the 2012 games in London.
Paralympian cyclist Simon Richardson, who won a a silver and two golds at Beijing in 2008 lit the cauldron outside City Hall on Monday morning. On Tuesday, it will be the turn of Caerphilly resident Joanne Coates-McGrath to carry the flame in the relay.
The 45-year-old had been due to compete in this year’s Paralympic Games but was knocked down by a drink-driver while out training.
Mr Richardson, from Portcawl, said he was shocked to be asked to get the Paralympic Torch relay underway.
Cardiff is the final city to host a festival to mark the arrival of its Paralympic flame. The Welsh flame was created at the top of Snowdon by Scouts who struck a ferrocerium rod against a rough steel surface to create the sparks for the Flame.
Flames from Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England will unite before a relay to Wednesday’s opening ceremony.
Taking part in the 24-hour relay from Buckinghamshire’s Stoke Mandeville, home of the Paralympic movement, to London, will be Caerphilly resident Joanne Coates-McGrath.
Jo, 40, a Disability Sports Development Officer with Cardiff Council, was nominated by Disability Sport Wales for her voluntary work with sledge ice hockey and wheelchair basketball as well as her contribution as a Disability Sports Officer for the past 11 years.
Secretary of State for Wales Cheryl Gillan has spoken of her support to the record-breaking 38 Welsh ParalympicsGB athletes set to take to the London 2012 stage.
Over nine days of intense competition, athletes including F57 javelin world champion, Nathan Stephens, Beijing Olympic gold medal winning swimmer Liz Johnson and sailor Stephen Thomas will look to maintain Wales’ strong history of Paralympic Games success.
At the Beijing Paralympics, within a total of 1,431 medals, the fourteen won by Welsh athletes (ten golds, three silvers and one bronze) would have put Wales at the top of the medal table on the basis of population.
Mrs Gillan said: “We are all immensely proud of the 38 Welsh athletes set to take part at these historic home Games. We have a long and distinguished history in developing world-class Paralympians and I have no doubt that the London 2012 cast will maintain that rich vein of medal-winning form displayed by their TeamGB counterparts at the Olympic Games earlier this month.
“I particularly send my very best wishes to the 19 Welsh Paralympic débutantes among the contingent. Each and every one of them has invested the time and commitment it takes to reach the heights of their individual sports, and they have been rewarded with the unique opportunity to take part in the greatest show on earth on home soil.”