The excitement is building for the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris as the torch has officially crossed from England to France via the iconic Channel Tunnel.
Having been lit in Stoke Mandeville, the historic birthplace of the Paralympic movement, the flame is now en route to Paris to signify the upcoming games.
On Sunday, a relay featuring 24 British athletes transitioned through the tunnel from Folkestone, continuing with the support of 24 French athletes who joined halfway to pass the flame.
Upon reaching the French coast at Calais, the flame will split into 12 individual flames that will traverse regions across France.
Helene Raynsford from Guildford rowing club, alongside Gregor Ewan, had the honor of lighting the Paralympic flame. Raynsford made history as the first-ever Paralympic champion in Para rowing when it debuted at Beijing 2008, while Ewan is a three-time Paralympian in wheelchair curling.
The flames will visit notable cities including Lyon, which is set to host 11 football matches during the games, and Lorient, home to double Paralympic sailing gold medallist Damien Seguin.
The grand cauldron in Paris will ignite when all 12 flames gather in the city on August 28, leading into 11 thrilling days of competition.
The games will be held until September 8, featuring over 4,000 athletes from around the globe competing in 549 medal events across 22 different sports.
Stoke Mandeville now serves as the permanent lighting point for all Paralympic torches, akin to how the Olympic Flame is lit at Olympia in Greece.
The historical roots of this tradition trace back to 1948, when Sir Ludwig Guttmann organized the Stoke Mandeville Games, a groundbreaking competition for wheelchair athletes held concurrently with the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games.
