British athletes light Paralympic flame ahead of Paris games

Helene Raynsford and Gregor Ewan lit the Paralympic torch on Saturday in Stoke Mandeville

The Paralympic flame has been lit by British Paralympians Helene Raynsford and Gregor Ewan.

The flame was set alight on Saturday in the village of Stoke Mandeville in England.

It'll now be passed in relays between a number of British torch bearers in the UK on its journey to the Paris.

The Paralympic Games kick off in the French capital next week and end on 8 September.

More than 4,000 athletes will compete in over 500 events across 23 different disciplines.

What happened?

British Paralympians Helene Raynsford and Gregor Ewan lit the Paralympic flame ahead of its journey to Paris for the Games.

Helene was the first ever Paralympic champion in Para-rowing when the sport was first introduced to the Paralympics.

Gregor is a three-time Paralympian in wheelchair curling.

The Paralympics begin on 28 August and will end on 8 September

Now the torch has been lit, twenty-four British torchbearers will help begin its journey towards France, through the Channel Tunnel.

At the halfway point inside the tunnel, the Flame will be handed over to French Para torchbearers who will continue its journey to the French capital city.

The Flame will then be used to light the Paralympic Cauldron during the opening ceremony next Wednesday.

Why is Stoke Mandeville important to the Paralympic Games?

This picture shows Dutch athlete Joep de Beer taking part in the javelin competition in the Stoke Mandeville games in 1954

Stoke Mandeville is considered the birthplace of Paralympic sport.

That's because after World War Two ended, a professor at Stoke Mandeville hospital organised an archery tournament for injured former soldiers who were using wheelchairs.

The Stoke Mandeville Games soon became an international competition, and in the 1960s, the first ever official Paralympic Games took place.

As a result, Stoke Mandeville was chosen as the 'home' for the Paralympic Flame last year - and it will begin its journey to all future Games from the Buckinghamshire village.