World champion four at Trafalgar Square to promote International Paralympic Day

The GB Rowing Team’s World Champion mixed adaptive coxed four were on hand to help celebrate International Paralympic Day in Trafalgar Square today.

Pam Relph, Naomi Riches, Dave Smith, James Roe and Lily van den Broecke joined the crowds and the media on the Square to sign autographs and promote rowing just 24 hours before tickets go on sale for the 2012 Paralympic Games.

With Sam Scowen, from the mixed adaptive double scull, the four rowers and their cox have come back hot-foot from the World Championships in Slovenia to take part in the day.

Celebrities like Channel 4’s Rik Edwards and former track athlete Iwan Thomas lined up to watch and have a go as the rowers demonstrated their skills on the ergo and the four joined 2012 Organisers, like Lord Sebastian Coe, as they were interviewed about their aspirations for next year.

Rowing takes place on August 31st and September 1st and 2nd next year at Eton-Dorney. Tickets are priced at £5 and £10 and application details can be found at www.tickets.london2102.com

David Smith was enthusiastic about the day:  “It’s a great thing to be involved in and to be part of.  It raises awareness of Paralympic sport and the people in it with the Games coming so quickly and hopefully it will increase interest in the Games.

“It is nice to come out and relax as a World Champion and enjoy it as that’s very short-lived. As soon as we are back to training in late September, Bled will be forgotten. So it’s nice to soak up that feeling”.

Lily van den Broecke said:  “Seeing other sports and having a chance to talk about our recent gold medal win has been my highlight. It’s extremely important to highlight Paralympic sport”.

James Roe added:  “Today’s event is a lot bigger than I was expecting. I’ve enjoyed watching the wheelchair rugby.  Most people have some idea what rowing is but with the other Paralympic sports it’s good to have demonstrations to see what they are all about”.

Sam Scowen said:  “Today is making it extremely real about how big it is going to be at London 2012 and that it’s only a year away”.