28/08/2012 Newsround

Hi there, guys, I'm Ore - miles away from the comforts of the

Newsround studio, because we're all getting seriously excited about the

Paralympics. If you've had something missing since the

Olympics ended, get ready for the Paralympic Games in Stoke

Mandeville, the birthplace of the Paralympics. It's just over 24

hours before everything gets officially under way in the Opening

Ceremony tomorrow night, but it's here that we are getting ready for

a Paralympic coming home party. Look at these guys, they are having

a fantastic time. We will have music, dancing, a hog roast. At 8pm,

those four torches lit on the highest peaks of England, Northern

Ireland, Scotland and Wales, will make their way here to create the

Paralympic torch. One hospital... Well, this is Stoke Mandeville

Hospital. The London 2012 Paralympics will

see 4,200 athletes from 166 countries competing for glory. And

it's certainly come a long way since it all began. 1948, and 16

soldiers who'd injured their spines while fighting in the Second World

War compete in a hospital sportsday and the Paralympics are born. And

it was all down to this man, Sir Ludwig Guttmann, the doctor who

opened the UK's first ever spinal injuries unit at Stoke Mandeville

Hospital in Buckinghamshire. Before the unit opened, patients were

expected to die in months from spinal injuries But he believed in

the power of sport to get you better - not just physically, but

also socially and mentally. started skittles and I saw how

these men reacted, not only physically, but psychologically.

The Games grew and grew with competitors from overseas

travelling to compete. And in 1960 they followed the Olympics to Rome

and 400 wheelchair athletes from 23 countries competed against each

other at the same time the Games were taking place. As they ran

parallel with the Olympics, they became knows as the Paralympics.

They were ahead of their time, playing a massive part in changing

people's attitudes towards the disabled. It wasn't until 1970 when

the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act was introduced in the

UK - for the first time disabled people had a right to an education,

sport at home and access to public buildings. It wasn't just those

with spinal injuries. The Games kept on growing and although Sir

Ludwig Guttmann died in 1980, his vision of sport for athletes with

disabilities continues with spinal units open all over the UK. London

2012 will be the first Paralympics to sell out, as the eyes of the

world get ready to watch one of the greatest shows on earth.

So to get you in the mood, we've spoken to Tanni Grey-Thompson -

Britain's most successful Paralympian - about what it's like

to compete. She's clocked up 11 golds, four silvers and a bronze

and has some very fond memories of the Games. I'm Tanni Grey-Thompson,

I competed in wheelchair racing at five Paralympics. This is a gold

medal-winning performance from Tanni Grey-Thompson! In my career,

I won 16 medals, 11 gold medals, four silver medals and a bronze and

I broke 35 world records. Tanni Grey-Thompson does it. In the

build-up to the event, it is hard. You spend so much time training

two-to-three times a day six days a week. I used to hate the morning

when I was competing because I just wanted it over and done with, but

by the time I got to the start line, I knew it would be OK. You just

have to be the best you can. What I remember the most from competing in

the Paralympics is it is important to choose who you spend a room with.

You spend a lot of time together and you have to get on well with

them because you only have a tiny amount of space. When the

competition was over, I used to feel relief that all that time and

effort, all that training, all the sacrifices, had been worth it.

didn't just win that event, she destroyed a field with her speed,

her Grace and her position. High I still spend a lot of time thinking

about the Paralympics. I want our British athletes to win lots of

medals in London. I'm very fortunate that I can still be

involved a few years after I stopped competing myself. Things

are starting to build up at Stoke Mandeville. There getting excited

about the Paralympic torch coming to town and 3,000 people are

getting ready to see it coming to town.

Lots of you are getting into the spirit of the Paralympics, too.

You've been telling us how exciting you're getting on the Newsround

Joanna, if you've got a spare ticket, I would like on! If it is

going to be a fantastic competition. It starts tomorrow night at 8:30pm.

Here at 8pm, the Paralympic torch will arrive. Back to the studio.

Now, let's head to America, where President Barack Obama has urged

people preparing for Tropical Storm Isaac to listen to officials and

evacuate if they're told to. The powerful storm is approaching the

Gulf Coast right now and is predicted to hit land this evening.

It's getting stronger and could even become a hurricane. It's

already killed at least 24 people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic

and caused a lot of flooding and damage. Many people have boarded up

their houses and bought extra food and water to prepare for winds of

around 100 mph. Mr Obama had this message for people there. We are

dealing with a big storm and there could be significant flooding and

other damage across a large area. Now is not the time to tempt fate.

Now is not the time to dismiss official warnings. You need to take

this seriously. Many people in Louisiana are

especially nervous. This is what happened in the state's biggest

city, New Orleans, seven years ago. It was devastated by Hurricane

Katrina, which killed more than 1,800 people. This storm isn't

expected to be as bad, but the area is popular with tourists. These

people are on holiday there. flights were cancelled so we will

be here for the hurricane. We are battening down the hatches. We were

aware it was the seven-year anniversary of hurricane Katrina.

We are just hoping the City doesn't get hit again. We were advised to

get out, but we can't. We can't get a flight. We are stuck!

Space and showbiz don't usually go together quite so smoothly, but

Will.i.am's music will be blasting out on the planet Mars tonight. The

Curiosity rover will be playing his track Reach For The Stars from the

surface of the red planet! It comes after the NASA robot beamed back a

human voice from Mars for the very first time. A NASA scientist sent a

message there, and Curiosity successfully sent it back again.

If you think you're pretty decent doing jumps on your bike or

skateboard, you'll love this. Some of the world's best skateboarders

and BMX riders have got together in Brazil to have a go on the Mega-

ramp. It's over 100 metres long and as tall as a nine-storey building.

And get used to seeing this because it's going to be one of the main

venues for the Rio Olympic Games in four years' time.

Finally, when you think of animals from Australia that are well known

for their swimming skills, this next one might not be high up on

your list. This cheeky koala surprised a group of canoeists down

under by swimming across a river to hitch a ride with them. Although

koalas can swim, they don't usually like to. This one made it back to

dry land safe and sound. That's all for now, but I'm back at

6.55pm over on the CBBC Channel with your last update of the day.