Paralympian plants oak

LEAMINGTON-born Nigel Murray - best known as the triple Paralympic medal winner in the sport of boccia, or bowls for wheelchair users, was at Round Oak School on Wednesday to help plant a very important sapling.

By The Newsroom

Published 22nd Apr 2012, 10:00 BST

Pupils of the school and sports college in Warwick, who all have special needs, were delighted to see Nigel plant the first oak tree in a line that will stretch from Much Wenlock in Shropshire to the Olympic Park in London.

The champion boccia player, who won gold in the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, also holds seven national titles.

Round Oak head Jane Naylor was particularly pleased to welcome Nigel and Warwick mayor Trudy Offer to perform the planting ceremony to mark 100 days to the start of the Games.

She said: “This is one of 40 saplings, grown from acorns taken from a tree planted in 1890 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who is often called the father of the modern Olympic movement.”