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Olympic memories
The thoughts, thanks and inspiring messages of over 150 athletes and officials who trained in Bedford ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been recorded on a special commemorative scroll.
The scroll, currently on display at Bedford Central Library, extends over several metres containing personal messages written by the athletes themselves. Together they celebrate the welcome shown to them as they stayed in the town.
Prior to the Games, Bedford Borough Council hosted more Paralympic teams than any other town or borough in the country, with approximately 170 athletes and support staff from Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Ghana, Morocco, Jamaica, Pakistan, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Lesotho, Angola, Cape Verde and the Canadian Women’s Goalball team, living and training in the Borough.
Mayor of Bedford Dave Hodgson said: “It should be a source of great pride for Bedford that we were able to host so many inspirational athletes and to show them all we have to offer, from the warm welcome of the community to the world class facilities.
“It really was a great summer here in the Borough, and the public display of the scroll will be a fitting memento of this special role we were able to play in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Howard Darbon, Coordinator of Pre Games Training Camps for BOOST, added; “The Bedford Training Camp proved to be an immensely busy two months, but a period of great satisfaction, enjoyment and humility working with athletes of such ability.
“The feedback received from the teams indicates that they found Bedford to be an ideal town to base themselves, the people of Bedford were fantastic, the town proved to be an ideal choice and its facilities enabled high quality training and acclimatisation.
Looking at the results of the Paralympic Games, and seeing the 28 medals won and records broken by athletes based in Bedford, it is quite clear that Bedford made a significant contribution to their performances at the Games.”
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Weather for Bedford
Friday 24 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 29 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 6 C to 15 C
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