With 100 days to go until the XI Paralympic Winter Games get under way in Sochi, the British Paralympic Association (BPA) has announced plans to celebrate the selection of athletes to the team at the Deloitte ParalympicsGB Team Launch.
The event, which has Deloitte as the title sponsor for the first time, will take place on January 23-24 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow. It will bring together the athletes who have been selected to represent ParalympicsGB in the sports of Alpine Skiing and Wheelchair Curling.
On the first day of the Team Launch, January 23, the team announcement for Alpine Skiing will be made, which will formally announce the athletes who are selected to compete in that sport at the Games.
Selected athletes will be joined at Team Launch by their sports-specific support team and BPA core staff who be working alongside them to help secure personal best performances when ParalympicsGB competes on the snow and ice in Sochi in just a few months’ time.
The Deloitte ParalympicsGB Team Launch will also incorporate the kitting out process, a symbolic moment for the team where selected athletes will receive the official adidas kit that they will wear when they compete at the Games.
Another highlight from the two day event will be the evening celebratory dinner, which will be hosted by the Lord Provost at the City Chambers on January 23.
Penny Briscoe, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission for Sochi 2014, was delighted to reveal the plans. She said: “With 100 days to go, I’m really pleased that we can share some the exciting plans we have in place for the Deloitte ParalympicsGB Team Launch.
“The Team Launch is a momentous and actually very emotional point for the team: it is the first time that the whole team will come together and we know that the athletes will feel a sense of pride when they pull on their Sochi 2014 ParalympicsGB kit at the event.
“This is a moment for our athletes to take a brief pause from their training and reflect on the hard work that has secured their qualification and selection to compete at Sochi 2014 and it promises to be a memorable event for all involved.”
Heather Hancock, Managing Partner, Client Experience, Deloitte, said: “With just 100 days to go, Deloitte is hugely proud and excited to sponsor the Team Launch. Our support for the BPA has always been about sending the best prepared team to the Games and the launch is the final stage in their preparations before Games time.
“London 2012 caused a huge surge in disabled people searching the Deloitte Parasport website for a sport which suited them, and we hope to see the same in February. We’ll be putting our full support behind the athletes preparing to compete and wish them the best of luck when the eyes of the world fall on Sochi.”
Tim Hollingsworth, Chief Executive of the BPA, added: “Team Launch promises to be a wonderful occasion for the team and I look forward to formally welcoming all of the team members on board. At this milestone of 100 days to it’s wonderful to be able to pause for a moment and look at the journey ahead, and enjoy the sense of excitement that the next Games is approaching.
“The ParalympicsGB Team Launch wouldn’t be possible without the help and support of our partners, particularly Deloitte, who have played their part in helping us to fulfil our mission of sending the best prepared team of British athletes to fly the flag at Sochi 2014.”
Find out more about Paralympics GB at www.paralympics.org.uk
