Today marks exactly 500 days to go until the start of the London 2012 Paralympic Games – an important milestone in our countdown to London 2012. It's fantastic to think that in 500 days, we'll be hosting the world's second largest sporting event and that over 4,000 athletes from around the world will be coming to London for the greatest show on earth.

It seems like only yesterday we were reaching the 1,000 days to go milestone and since then, so much has happened in terms of the planning and preparation for the Paralympic Games. And as we face the next 500 days, we're moving into an operational and delivery phase, with lots of fantastic activity planned for the next six months.

We recently announced that for the first time ever, London will host International Paralympic Day on September 8 in Trafalgar Square, one of the most iconic locations in our capital. We'll be giving the public a chance to learn more about Paralympic sport and experience first-hand the inspiration and excitement of Paralympic athletes. I'd urge everyone to come along on the day - not only will you have the chance to meet and join UK and international Paralympians, but you may also discover and get hooked on a brand new sport which you hadn't come across before.

Tickets for the Paralympic Games will go on sale on 9 September. We'll be announcing more information shortly but we have a range of exciting initiatives planned to give sports fans an opportunity to see as much Paralympic sport as possible.

And in May this year, the BT Paralympic World Cup will start and it will be a fantastic showcase of elite sport including athletics, smming and wheelchair basketball. People attending the Paralympic World Cup can look forward to seeing athletes like Oscar Pistorius.


Not only will all these events give people a real opportunity to get involved with and be inspired by the Paralympic Games, but it will give them a taster of what they can expect from the August 29 when the Paralympic Games will begin.

We have a real opportunity with the Paralympic Games to help change people's perceptions about disability and also inspire people to get into disability sport. Research from The Nielsen Company shows that there is a real public appetite for the Paralympic Games, with one in three people wanting to know more about Paralympic sport and Paralympians. There is also a strong belief that the London 2012 Paralympic Games will inspire the general public, with one in two people agreeing that the Games will show the world how to treat disabled people with respect and equality, and four in ten believing the Games can bring about a breakthrough in the way disabled people are perceived in the UK.

I'm looking forward to working with the Government, our stakeholders and our partners to make this happen and ensure that the London 2012 Paralympic Games are the best possible.

In 500 days time, people will have the chance to see some outstanding sport and elite athletes competing at the highest level possible. And given what ParalympicsGB has achieved to date at previous Games - 102 medals in Beijing alone, almost half of these Gold medals - I know that they will achieve even greater success on a home soil, with London and the rest of the UK completely behind them, cheering them on. I, for one, can't wait for the Paralympic Games to start.

Sebastian Coe is the chairman of London 2012