Cauldron glows again in Vancouver

Spectators cheered as the Paralympic cauldron flared to light in Vancouver, marking the start of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games which get underway today.

More than 500 athletes with disabilities, from 45 countries, are due to compete in alpine skiing, biathlon and cross-country skiing, wheelchair curling and ice sledge hockey.

"I declare these Paralympics open, the first ever in Canada," said Governor General Michaelle Jean, after an opening billed as "a celebration of ability".

The opening spectacle was a noisy, colourful melange that mixed pomp and circumstance, special effects and pop culture with exuberant audience participation.

More than 35,000 spectators donned colourful plastic ponchos and then, on cue, waved lighted pom poms, danced in their seats and chanted, cheered and screamed as the teams of athletes filed in wheelchairs, on crutches or walking into the stadium behind their national flags.

Each country's athletes were loudly cheered but the crowd roar for the Canadians was deafening.

The Paralympic torch were carried into the stadium jointly by Betty and Rolly Fox, parents of Terry Fox, who inspired the Vancouver Games theme of "one inspires many."

Fox is a forever-young Canadian hero who died in 1981 at 22 after running - on one leg - 5,300 kilometers in 143 days, to raise funds for cancer research.

Fox's attempt to run across all of Canada was foiled when his cancer returned, but today millions of people in 30 countries take part in an annual Terry Fox run.