Below is a blog from Ian Seabrook, Business Development Manager for the Stoke Mandeville Stadium who visited the Paralympic Games in Beijing earlier this month. It highlights the efforts of the Chinese hosts for the Games and the preparation and research invested by their English counterparts for London 2012.
Friday 9th September 2008 - depart Heathrow
My name is Ian Seabrook, Business Development Manager for the Stoke Mandeville Stadium, and I am representing Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the National Centre for Wheelchair Sport and the birthplace of the Paralympic Games, and the South East Region at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. We aim to develop links with National Paralympic Bodies, both culturally and economically, with our ultimate goal being to attract Paralympic teams to Stoke Mandeville Stadium and the South East Region for pre-games training camps and use during the games themselves.
We left Heathrow in good spirit along with representatives from Wales, the North West and the East of England, with the group from the South East being by far the largest with five representatives, which in itself indicates how important the Paralympics means to the region as a whole.
I am personally looking forward to seeing some of the athletes who have started their sporting careers through WheelPower, British Wheelchair Sport and have used Stoke Mandeville Stadium as their training venue prior to Beijing compete and hopefully win medals.
Saturday 10th September 2008 - arrive in Beijing
We arrived in Beijing at lunchtime on Saturday after a 7 hour flight. We were greeted by Chinese volunteers who assisted us through to cars to get us to our hotel. After a quick refresher and unpacking, we met again to go to the Paralympic Hospitality Centre at the PHC (Intercontinental Hotel) which is in the Olympic Park. This gave us the opportunity to get know our colleagues and to network.
For the first time we saw the Birds Nest and the other Paralympic venues, what is not clear from the television, is the enormity of all of the venues, they are massive. Also, the finishing touches the Chinese have given the venues is amazing, the lighting of the water cube and of the media centre are simply incredible at night.
Sunday 11th September 2008 - first sporting action
Today we got to see our first Paralympic sporting action. I went to watch the GB Wheelchair Rugby Team, who are based at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, in their final group match against Australia, both teams being unbeaten going into this match. Whilst waiting for the start, I waited in the Hospitality area when Prince Edward walked in. Unfortunately, after a good first three periods, GB failed to beat the Australians.
As soon as the game had finished, we got in cars to get to the Olympic Park to watch the GB Basketball semi-final again against Australia, and again, unfortunately Australia came out on top again.
We returned to our hotel a little disappointed but our moods were soon improved when we arrived. The hotel was hosting a celebration for the moon festival, we were treated to authentic food, music, and Chinese latterns made by children.
Monday 12th September 2008 - the launch of the Pre-games Training Camp Guide
The Birds Nest is simply amazing, the atmosphere in there was incredible. We visited in the morning for several of the finals and the Chinese people were really behind their competitors which gave the place that buzz.
In the evening was the launch of the 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp Guide at the Ambassadors Residence. Over 80 National Paralympic Committees (NPC’s) were represented at the event and gave us a massive opportunity to promote the South East Region and the Stoke Mandeville Stadium to the Paralympic team organisers. Over the next 48 hours I have further meetings with 12 NPCs to discuss in greater detail.
Tuesday 13th September 2008 - meetings, meetings
Today saw us all have meetings with NPCs to discuss their requirements pre-2012. My first two meetings, Romania and Zimbabwe, were particularly interested in how Great Britain have structured their disability sport and they both had special interest with the involvement of Stoke Mandeville Stadium. We also had lengthy discussions about how the local community can get involved and developing cultural links.
At lunchtime we attended the London / Britain Media Reception at the Paralympic Hospitality Centre just north of the Birds Nest. We received speeches from the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, Tessa Jowell MP and Lord Coe before we headed off to watch the GB Basketball Team defeat the USA in the Bronze medal playoff.
Wednesday 14th September 2008 - the final day
WHAT A DAY!!!!! There are so many words that can describe this, inspirational, emotional, amazing, incredible.
We continued meeting the countries who are interested in coming to the UK and all were very excited about what turned out to be an incredible closing ceremony that blew everyone away. I am speechless, and those that know me would say that does not happen very often.
Well its now time to pack and take stock of my experiences over the last 5 days. It has been truly an inspirational experience, one that has enhanced my belief in the work that WheelPower and Leisure Connection are doing at Stoke Mandeville Stadium and the massive opportunities that we now have not just at the Stadium, but in Buckinghamshire, the South East and Great Britain.
My lasting memory though is of all of the Chinese Volunteers, each and everyone of them greeted you, smiled at you and could not be more helpful, London 2012 is going to effect everyone of us and I hope that everyone of us embraces it as did the Chinese.
To view Stoke Mandevilles Paralympic handover celebrations, please visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7621827.stm
