Back for a second year at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Parallel London provided an exciting day of fun and physical activity – giving everyone an opportunity to be active in the capital.
Last Sunday, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was the host of a colourful celebration of physical activity and sport, with hundreds of people coming together to compete in the five Parallel London challenges: 10k, 5k, 1k, 100m and super sensory 1k!
The event saw people of all abilities come together and be active, with an immense focus on the things that people can do, rather than what they can’t. With an outstanding turnout of participants running, walking and pushing, Parallel London 2017 was an inspiration for any person looking to get into physical activity and sport.
Andrew Douglass, Parallel London Founder commented on the success of the event: “
The event attracted so many people to take part in our fun runs and challenge themselves for the first time. It demonstrates that if you remove barriers and create more accessible environments, there is no shortage of people of all ages and abilities who want to get active and engage more fully their communities.
I think this underlines one of Parallel London’s most important aims; which is to be a catalyst to help change perceptions and attitudes towards inclusion; enabling everybody to fulfil their potential to the best of their abilities.”
On the day, participants and their families could also join a fully accessible family festival featuring nine zones celebrating inclusivity. The event had something for everyone including an array of attractions, activities and entertainment. Have a look at the highlights of Parallel London 2017 by watching the video below.
Highlights from today at Parallel London 2017 #SideBySide pic.twitter.com/kJTEmQdAlt
— Parallel London (@ParallelLondon) September 3, 2017
Events such as Parallel London serve as a perfect opportunity to inspire participation across the city and break down the barriers to participation that deaf and disabled people may often face. Last month, London Sport launched An Active Inclusive Capital, the Strategic plan of action for disability in London. This document sets out a strategic framework to support deaf and disabled Londoners to become as physically active as non-disabled people in the capital.
