Stodel lights up Weymouth and Portland Sailing venue
Written by RYA | 31 August 2012
On the eve of the sailing competition starting, Great Britain’s three-time Paralympian Hannah Stodel had the honour of lighting the Paralympic cauldron at the London 2012 Sailing venue in Weymouth and Portland tonight (31 August).
The 27-year-old was honoured to be chosen for the task, but admitted she felt the experience was more nerve-wracking than competing on the Paralympic stage.
“I was so nervous! I was more nervous doing that than I will be racing I reckon!” she confessed.
“Trying not to fall up the stairs was pretty spectacular, but it was really special, and really nice to be asked to do it.”
it was the final day of preparations for the 80 sailors from 23 nations taking part in this 2012 Paralympic sailing competition, with the three ParalympicsGB crews enjoying a final ‘shakedown’ in the official practice races which took place today.
“[The practice race] was good,” said Stodel, who races alongside John Robertson and Steve Thomas in the three-person Sonar keelboat.
“It kind of brought it all back that we’ve raced these guys before, we’ve raced on these waters before. There’s nothing different – we just have to go out and do what we’ve been doing for years, and have fun!
“The atmosphere is so different now than when I think back to Beijing and how stressed we were. It’s nice that it’s so chilled and everyone’s so laid back and we’re having a joke in the team. We’re really looking forward to racing.”
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