The torch arrived in London and the flame was lit to mark the start of the Paralympic Games in London, where athletes with disabilities will compete for 11 days.
The opening ceremony for the games will be watched by a capacity crowd of more than 80,000, the BBC reported. The ceremony will be narrated by professor Stephen Hawking and actor Ian McKellen.
Prime Minister David Cameron, before the ceremony, said: “The Olympics made us proud but I think [the Paralympics] will make us prouder still. ... It’s been a sellout and I think that’s a great story for our country.”
“Really what it’s about is the inspiration that it gives to a generation of young people,” he added. “And also I think with the Paralympics—even more powerful than the Olympics in many ways—it changes people’s minds about what disability is about and what disabled people can achieve.”
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