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Beijing Paralympics 2008’s colourful ambassador - Le Le (Happiness)

On 6 Sep, exactly two years before the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, the 2008 Paralympic mascot was unveiled during a ceremony at the Great Wall of China. Sporting a striking mix of colours and a look of content, Lele (which means Happiness) the cow, will be inviting people from all over the world to Beijing to enjoy the splendors of the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, and watch the inspiring performances of the Paralympians.

Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Liu Qi , President of the Beijing 2008 Organizing Committee (BOCOG) and Deng Pufang, President of the China Disabled Persons Federation (CDPF) were witnesses at the unveiling ceremony.

Said Sir Philip: “The 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games mascot epitomizes another side of sport. On one hand, sport is about medal winning athleticism but on the other hand, sport and participation in sport, brings happiness, fun and enjoyment to people all over the world. This colourful ambassador of joy will attract people of all ages to the universal message of Paralympic Sport, which is “Spirit in Motion” “.

The design of the mascot absorbs the style of the Chinese culture, embodying the harmony between man and nature, and resembling the traditional design styles unique to China’s folk engraved prints and folk toys.

Cows, symbolic of a down-to-earth, diligent, staunch and never-say-die spirit, are adopted to show the unremitting spirit of athletes with a disability in being the best they can be. It dovetails the upbeat spirit of Paralympians and the concept of “Transcendence, Equality, Integration” of the Beijing Paralympic Games.

The determined, optimistic and diligent spirit of cows reflects a positive attitude to life. The Paralympic Games calls for people with a disability to enjoy the same rights to compete in sports as anyone else, and to achieve sporting excellence and inspire and excite the World, and thus develop their strength to add vigor and vitality to social progress.

Take a look at past Paralympic mascots...

Aster – Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games

Aster takes on the shape, colour, structure and nimbleness of a snowflake. Happy, agile and dynamic, thanks to its particular form, it is capable of assuming all positions specified by the Paralympic disciplines, thus being representative of all athletes in an entertaining, positive and natural fashion. The little snowflake seeks to extol the athletic results of participants, rather than to focus on their disabilities.

Proteas – Athens 2004 Paralympic Games

Proteas, the seahorse, sought to express the four values of the ATHENS 2004 Paralympics: strength, pursuit, inspiration and celebration.

Proteas was named after a marine divinity in classical Greek mythology. The sea has always been a core element of Hellenic culture, representing from peace and tranquility to passion and strength. Numerous gods and heroes had emerged from the seas in Greek mythology, leaving thrilling tales of how they succeeded in overcoming the human degree of their ability and their achievements. 

Proteas’ name is connected with the Greek adjective “protos”, meaning “first in rank” or “excellent”. The notion of excellence is something the mascot shares with Paralympians, who succeeded in achieving ever-higher competition performances.

Otto – Salt Lake City 2002 Paralympic Winter Games

Ancient Indian tribes considered the otter to be one of the most powerful of all animals. After being nearly wiped out by pollution and overtrapping, the river otter has been reintroduced to Utah and can be seen along the banks of the Green River and near Flamig Gorge. The otter was chosen as the official mascot of the Salt Lake 2002 Paralympic Winter Games because he embodies vitality and agility, and represents the spirit of every Paralympian.

Lizzie – Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games

Lizzie, the frill-necked lizard, was chosen to carry the Paralympic messages of performance, power and pride to both Australian and international audiences.
Her strength, determined will and attitude symbolise all Paralympians. Lizzie’s frill is shaped as the map of Australia with its green and gold colours, while her body is the red ochre colour of the land.

Learning about mascots
The word ‘mascot’ has a long lineage, dating back to the Medieval times. It was only in 1881 when the word was first recorded in English, and came to mean a person, animal, or object believed to bring good luck. In modern days, however, a mascot has come to mean something – typically an animal or human character – used to symbolize a group with a common public identity.

Since then, mascots have been widely used for sports competitions, significant events and even organisations. There have been so many mascots created that there is even a mascot cemetery online for used mascots that are now defunct.

Why are there still so many mascots around? The Merlion is a good case study. It is a very successful mascot, simply because of the fact that anyone who sees the Merlion is reminded of Singapore and vice versa. Similarly, when you want your organisation or event to be remembered, a mascot can come in very useful if it strikes a chord with the audience.

Information and pictures compiled from Beijing 2008 website and IPC website.