By Paul Osborne

Paul Thorburn, Aled-Sion Davies and Josie Pearson with the first Swansea 'Champions' to sign up including volunteers from the Young Ambassadors programme and Special Olympics GB ©Swansea 2014January 30 - To mark just 200 days to go until the 2014 International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) Athletics European Championships in Swansea, organisers have launched the "champions" volunteering programme at an event at the Swansea University Sports Village.


The programme hopes to recruit up to 1,000 volunteers from across Europe to help deliver the Championships, as Swansea prepares to host the biggest Para-athletics event ever to be held in Wales.

The event at Swansea University saw Paralympic gold medallists and Swansea 2014 ambassadors Aled Sion Davies and Josie Pearson join Paul Thorburn, chairman of the Swansea 2014 Organising Committee, in welcoming the first selection of volunteers to sign up to the programme.

Double Paralympic medallist and double world champion Aled Sion Davies is an ambassador for Swansea 2014 ©Getty ImagesDouble Paralympic medallist and double world champion Aled Sion Davies is an ambassador for Swansea 2014 ©Getty Images



"I'm absolutely ecstatic about having the IPC Athletics European Championships on home soil this year in Swansea and as an ambassador for the event I know we can deliver a high quality competition, writing history in the making," said Davies.

"The event can only be this successful with volunteers, they bring energy and spirit to the table which is indispensable.

"I urge everyone to consider volunteering as they could be a part of something very special."

The volunteering opportunity will see the "Champions" deployed in a variety of roles, including assisting at the venue, driving, translating and media operations.

Applications opened today and prospective "Champions" have until March 30 to apply.

"Today is a hugely important day for the event, the city and Wales," said Organising Committee chairman Thorburn.

"The Champions that we will recruit over the next few months are one of the most important parts of Swansea 2014, helping deliver the greatest European Para-athletics Championships to date and making sure that thousands of athletes, officials and spectators have a truly unforgettable experience.

"Whilst we welcome applications from across the globe, we want the people of Swansea to be a part of this event and hope that a large proportion of the Champions will come from local communities."

Applicants need to be 18 or older to apply, must be available for 10 days around the championships and will need their own transport and accommodation.

Swansea 2014 will take place at the Swansea University Sports Village between August 18-23, and will see around 600 of Europe's best athletes compete for honours as they build up to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

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