Prime Minister Joins Special Olympics Great Britain Athletes At No 10 For Flame Of Hope Relay

From a press release I have just recieved:

Four Special Olympics Great Britain athletes and an international team of five Law Enforcement Torch Runners were guests of the Prime Minister yesterday at No.10 Downing Street. They were joined by the Sports and Olympics Minister, Hugh Robertson MP, for a meeting ahead of the 5^th Special Olympics European Summer Games in Poland.

The visit celebrated the UK-leg of the famous Torch Run, with the ‘Flame of Hope’ arriving at Kings Cross St Pancras yesterday morning, taking in historic monuments around London and finishing up at Regents Park this afternoon and the Polish Embassy this evening. From here, the Torch will make its way to Warsaw for the European Summer Games 18-23 September after a monumental tour of eight European cities.

The Special Olympics Games promote respect, acceptance and inclusion for people with learning disabilities through sports. They bring together more than 1,500 Special Olympics athletes from 57 countries in Europe and Eurasia. Forty six athletes have been chosen to represent Great Britain, competing in athletics, badminton, tennis, table tennis and power lifting.

Prime Minister, Rt Hon David Cameron MP, said: “I was delighted to welcome the Great Britain athletes and the Torch Runners to Downing Street. I wish the athletes the best of luck in the forthcoming games in Warsaw, the whole country will be cheering them on.”

The Torch Run also marks the launch of Special Olympics Great Britain’s ‘Wear the Laces’ campaign (www.specialolympics.org/wearthelaces), where fans of the Special Olympics will be asked to show their support by purchasing specially designed Special Olympics shoe laces.

Karen Wallin, CEO, Special Olympics Great Britain, said: “With just a few days to go until the games open in Warsaw it’s great that attention is shifting to the 46 athletes who are honoured to represent Great Britain. We hope the public will show their support and embrace our Wear the Laces campaign which celebrates the unity of sport and its powerful ability to unite communities. When you ‘Wear the Laces’ you are making it possible for the Special Olympics movement to transform more lives through the power of sport.”