Launching a 12th year of the tour, the DOSB were joined by representatives of the German Disabled Sports Association, Special Olympics Germany and Landessportbund Berlin, the local sporting association, to promote a message of inclusion in sport.

To reinforce this message the Sports Badge is also supported by the lottery funded organisation Aktion Mensch, who attempt to promote of social projects for people with disabilities, in addition to children and young people.

Around 1,000 participants, both able bodied and with disabilities, took part in the opening leg of the nine event tour across Germany in an effort to improve their fitness and after passing four disciplines endurance, strength, speed and coordination tests to earn with a gold, silver or bronze German Sports Badge.

Following the Opening Ceremony, several of German sporting stars and ambassadors of the programme took part in a warm up and celebrity run.

Three-time Olympic canoeing gold medallist Andreas Dittmer, Frank Busemann, silver medallist in the decathlon at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, former world-class pole vaulter Danny Ecker and 16-time Paralympic Alpine skiing champion Gerd Schoenfelder were among the sporting stars present at the event, in the German capital.

In addition to the sport stars, experienced stunt woman Miriam Höller also helped to encourage the first participants in this year’s edition of the tour to become more active, by taking part in a variety of activities.

Three further events are scheduled for later this month with Hamm due to host a leg on June 19, while Stadtallendorf and Cottbus are due to welcome the Sport Badge tour on June 24 and 26 respectively.

Following Cottbus the tour will move to Sonneberg on July 3, Dresden on July 7, Bremen on July 14 and Kasierslauten on July 16 are expected to stage events throughout July, before the tour concludes on July 24 in Rosenheim.

In order to further publicise the tour and encourage young people to take part in sport a new film was unveiled on the DOSB Facebook page featuring Dittmer and Höller, as well as double Olympic Alpine skiing gold medallist Markus Wasmeier and wheelchair basketball Paralympic champion Johanna Welin.

The new film can viewed viewed here

Related stories
January 2015:  German wheelchair sport association aims to increase public awareness through new inclusion campaign
June 2014:  Olympians lead the way in Giessen as German Sports Badge Tour comes to town
June 2014:  Giessen second stop on German Olympic Sports Confederation Sport Badge Tour