Paralympic Mascot Comes To Weymouth!

The two-metre tall figure has been wowing London audiences with its friend Wenlock, the 2012 Olympic mascot, after 83 sculptures were planted all around the 2012 host city before the Games.

The two-metre tall figure has been wowing London audiences with its friend Wenlock, the 2012 Olympic mascot, after 83 sculptures were planted all around the 2012 host city before the Games. 

Now the borough of Weymouth and Portland will be in for a treat when the mascot is placed outside Weymouth train station today. The sculpture will welcome visitors to the borough for the 2012 Paralympic sailing events. 

Mandeville has been painted in Britain’s iconic red, white and blue and has its feet specially planted in a sandcastle made from Weymouth Beach sand. It will be placed outside the train station at 3:30pm on Wednesday 29 August. 

The cartoon mascots are meant to represent droplets of steel used to build the Olympic Stadium. 

Children and families helped design the mascots, with Mandeville’s head representing elements of the three crescent shapes of the Paralympics symbol. 

Cllr Margaret Leicester, Mayor of Weymouth & Portland, said: 

“These wonderful sculptures have been very popular throughout London especially with children, and we are delighted to be able to welcome our very own Weymouth and Portland Mandeville to the borough.

 “The Paralympic Games are the perfect end to what has been a fantastic summer for Weymouth and Portland and we would like to wish all ParalympicsGB athletes well when competition gets underway.” 

The mascot is named after Stoke Mandeville Hospital, which organised the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948, a competition for injured soldiers which helped inspire the concept of the Paralympic Games.

Cllr Kate Wheller, Brief Holder for Social Inclusion at Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, said:

 “We are extremely proud to be hosting the Paralympic sailing events here in Weymouth and Portland. “The Stoke Mandeville legacy was an inspiration for everyone and the borough is ready to embrace the Paralympic values of courage, determination, inspiration and equality.” 

The Paralympic sailing events are between 1-6 September, with 80 athletes taking to the waves of Weymouth and Portland.