The Flame of Hope

I had a tour for Apollo today, and one of our stops are at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Today we got the added bonus of being able to watch the Olympic Flame of Hope visit the LAD. It is on the final stretch of the Torch Run, before it's igniting the cauldron to mark the start of the Special Olympics World Games here in Abu Dhabi tomorrow.

The flame was also carried inside the LAD, under the dome. So happy I got to be part of this moment, as the LAD is pretty special to me.

I managed a sneaky little selfie with the flame!

The Special Olympics World Games is a multi-sport event for athletes with intellectual disabilities; a global movement which focuses on the empowerment of People of Determination through the power of sport. It's the first time it is hosted here in the Middle East since the founding of the movement over 50 years ago.

Throughout the games this coming week, around 7500 athletes will battle it out. The athletes are representing 192 countries and are competing in 24 individual and team sports. This is the largest humanitarian sporting event in the world! No wonder Abu Dhabi is buzzing at the moment!

Here is the full route the Flame of Hope has taken through UAE this past week: