President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Andrew Parsons (third from the right and wearing white) in Cortina during a regional Paralympic Torch Run Ceremony. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

CORTINA, Italy — The Milano-Cortina Paralympic Games are only days away. The Flame Unification Ceremony took place in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Tuesday ahead of Friday’s Opening Ceremony. The Unification ceremony brought together Flames from the five Flame Festivals held in Turin, Milan, Bolzano, Trento, and Trieste. The unified Paralympic Flame will now be the focal point of the Paralympic Torch Relay.

International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons, who is presiding over his fourth Paralympics, gave an exclusive interview to TownLift at a Torch Run Ceremony in Cortina on Tuesday.

“I’m super excited with the start of the games. Now, with the flame unified and going to the areas around Verona, it means that we are less than three days from the Paralympic Opening Ceremony,” Parsons told TownLift. “It’s becoming a reality now, and we know that Italy, Milano, Cortina, Verona, they will deliver amazing Games.”

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Andrew Parsons, (on the right, in the black,) exiting our interview. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

Parsons escorted the flame, applauding the athletes with disabilities who carried the torches through the streets lined with cheering people in town from all over the world.

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All photos: TownLift // Michele Roepke

The five lit torches were brought to their final destination by five well-known Italian stars. The flames were joined together into an on-stage candle-caldron in a Main St.-adjacent parking lot-turned-community gathering space. It was complete with a jumbo-tron showing highly produced videos of the flame’s fun journey, starting in Greece.

Andrew Parsons, escorting a torch in the flame parade. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

This was a rare, non-ticketed, non-competition event for the people of Cortina to enjoy.

One of the torches fell on the ground during the procession, but within five seconds was picked up by an attentive attendant and refastened onto the wheelchair off of which it had rattled as a result of the cobblestone street.

They paraded past Prada, Dior, Louis Vuitton, ski shops, the church, the town hall, bars, and bibliotecas.

Andrew Parsons (center) before the parade, next to the President of the Italian Paralympic Committee (in white). Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

Decorative and directional signage switched seamlessly over a few days from Olympics to Paralympics.

Other similar ceremonies are being held in surrounding regions, and the Cortina Cauldron will be lit on another night, all leading up to the Paralympic Opening Ceremony in Verona on March 6.