James Corden delivers the most incredible Ode to the Paralympics in new Channel 4 trailer
"Paras, the stage is yours"
To mark the start of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games next Wednesday, James Corden has delivered an ode like no other.
In a film made by Channel 4, Corden recites a poem exploring the historical roots of the Paralympic Games and remembering London 2012, all while building anticipation for the Games.
The film harks back to 1948, to “the pioneers, the Para-neers, on a hospital lawn”, when the Games began as a rehabilitation programme for British war veterans with spinal injuries at Stoke Mandeville.
It also reflects on the British Paralympic team’s performance in London 2012, from Ellie Simmonds’ tears when she won gold to David Weir’s cycling triumph. It is, in essence, a celebration of “the brilliance of resilience”.
The film sums up everything the games are about – victory, struggle, emotion, euphoria – and in the words of James Corden, “Paras, the stage is yours.”
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The Paralympic Games begins on Channel 4 at 9pm on 7 September
