AS the latest batch of Bring on the Games stickers are sent out, the British Paralympic team have given their support to the campaign.

The sailors from the Sonar, Skud and 2.4mR class posed with a giant sticker on a break in training.

Stickers are available from the Dorset Echo offices and from newsagents.

The athletes shared why they were getting excited for next year’s games.

Sonar tactician Hannah Stodel said: “For me it’s that racing is going to be free to watch and so easy for people to see because we will be right there by the Nothe Fort.

“It will be really easy, not like Beijing where people had to squint through binoculars.”

Sonar helmsman John Robertson said that the 2012 were a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He said: “It has been 60 or 70 years since the last Olympics in Britain. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance. It’s a unique chance for people.”

Teammate Stephen Thomas said: “The London games will be the biggest Paralympics ever.

“We have got the whole coastline were people can watch the racing from.”

With less than a year to go until the games, Skud sailor Niki Birrell said that it was the culmination of years of work.

He said: “For me I have put five years into Paralympic Sailing and I’m hoping to put right what went wrong in China last time.”

He added: “I think we will look back on this when we are older and go ‘wow, it’s amazing’.

“Rather than now we’re focused on getting it right and winning gold.

“Ten years or five years down the line we can look back and it will be the biggest Paralympic event in our lifetime and enjoy it after.”

The team said that they were really enjoying living and training in the borough and really felt at home.

2.4mR sailor Megan Pascoe said: “I’ve been living down here the longest, about four years, and it’s just home.

“I sail at Weymouth Sailing Club. The people are lovely and it’s great when you have moved down here to a new place and you’re not sure how you’re going to get on.”

She added: “If any of us carry on after 2012 we have said that we would like to stay on Portland. It’s a very good sailing venue to train at.

“Even before 2012 was announced people were sailing here.”

Hannah Stodel said: “Portland and Weymouth is home to us now.”

Teammate Stephen Thomas said the teams were always happy to get back to the borough after going away sailing.

He said: “When we have been away on trips we all want to come back here.”

He added: “The flags on Portland say home to Great British sailing and it’s not a gimmick, it’s really home”

Selection

BRITAIN’s top two 2.4mR sailors could have to wait until early next year to find out who has been selected for the Paralympic squad.

Megan Pascoe and Helena Lucas are ranked second and third in the world respectively for the class.

While the Skud and Sonar teams have had their selection confirmed the 2.4mR sailors are still battling it out for selection.

Despite both wanting to represent their country Megan Pascoe said that the battle for selection was helping to push both athletes to the very top of their game.

She said: “There’s a big fight on. It’s really positive because we do have two of us that are top.

“We are second and third ranking. We are pushing each other really hard, it’s really positive for British Sailing for us to be pushing each other and fighting.”

She added that they probably would know who had been selected early next year. She said that no matter who was selected they would be supporting each other.

She said: “It’s quite a positive position to be in.”