‘Mini golf’ at the Paralympic Flame Festival hosted by The Disability Resource Centre in Dunstable

This weekend has seen the Paralympic Flame travel around Bedfordshire before it is joined with others at Stoke Mandeville to create the London 2012 Paralympic Flame. On Sunday 27th August 2012 a Paralympic Flame Festival was held at The Disability Resource Centre in Dunstable.

Emily and I went along to have a look at the Flame and see what else was going on at the event. There were stalls and games at the Flame Festival and I’d heard that there would be a chance to have a look around the centre and find out about Paralympic Sports. Emily and I had a go at Boccia (a game like Boules/Petanque) which I won :-) We’ve managed to get tickets to see Boccia at the Paralympics and are really looking forward to it.

While queuing to see the Paralympic Flame we spotted on the venue map produced for the event that the Dunstable & District Disabled Sports group would have a ‘Mini golf’ activity!

Me and Emily with the Paralympic Flame and a London 2012 Olympic Torch at The Disability Resource Centre in Dunstable

It was a Pitching/Chipping game, using a good little teeing-up machine. I managed to hit a ‘hole-in-one’ on my fifth and final go!

Pitching with a Putter on the Mini golf game at the Paralympic Flame Festival in Dunstable

It was a great event and a nice warm-up for the London 2012 Paralympic Games!

Links:

• The Disability Resource Centre
• Dunstable and District Disabled Sports (D.A.D.D.S.) Group
• London 2012 Paralympic Games
• Team Beds & Luton

Related Blog Links:

• Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

It’s not just winning that counts, it’s as much about taking part!

If you’re regular reader of this blog, follow me on Twitter, or know me out there in the real world, you’ll know that I’m very competitive. No matter what the sport, game or activity!

All this week Adidas have been running a daily #takethestage competition on their Twitter page to win tickets to the Opening Ceremony at the London 2012 Olympic Games! Each day a tweet has been posted and an advert has been in the Sun newspaper asking people to put on their official Team GB sweatbands, strike a different sporting pose and send the photo to the @adidasUK twitter account with the hashtag #takethestage.

In my endeavours to win I’ve been a Weightlifter, Boxer, Javelin Thrower and Cyclist. However I didn’t win. Congratulations to the other competitors though. I’m looking forward to watching the Opening Ceremony on the box tonight and seeing the parade of athletes as they make their way into the stadium.

It’s been a brilliant online marketing campaign and great fun in trying (in my case in vain) to find a winning sporting pose. Take a look at my efforts below and see what you think...

Striking a Weightlifting Pose - a quite Herculean feat to lift "1 Ton"

My favourite of the week - a bit of face punching for the Boxing Pose. I actually missed the deadline with this photo as well! What a Ham & Egger.

Full recovered from my pugilism I attempt to 'clean up' in the competition with a spot of Mop Javelin throwing

In what appears to be a race between a man in a 'Yellow Jersey', me and an Alsation I appear to have finished second while riding a 'bike' in Luton town centre for my Cycling Pose!

Many thanks to my long suffering wife, opponent, coach and photographer Emily for snapping away at my efforts.

I’ll be proudly wearing my Team GB sweatbands and enjoying watching the Olympic athletes in action as they take part on the biggest stage of them all. I'll be cheering them all whether they win, or just take part!

Links:

- Adidas UK

- Adidas UK Twitter

Twitter Links:
- 23rd July 2012 - Weightlifting Pose
- 23rd July 2012 - Boxing Pose
- 23rd July 2012 - Javelin Pose
- 23rd July 2012 - Cycling Pose
- #takethestage 

Olympic Rings at St Pancras - 180 Days to Go to the start of London 2012!

Emily and I have managed to get tickets to watch some of the Handball at the 2012 Olympic Games!