London 2012 International

Education Programme

Out of a Rainbow: The story of the London 2012 mascots

A big rainbow arcs over the town down onto a giant steelworks.

On the floor lie the last two drops of British steel, used for the London 2012 Olympic Stadium.

The drops of steel are turned into Wenlock and Mandeville, the London 2012 mascots.

As the rainbow gets brighter, the mascots come to life.

Learning fast, the mascots pretend to be athletes running, jumping, diving and boxing.

The mascots look shiny and reflect the people, places and things they meet.

The figures are named as Wenlock, the Olympic mascot, from the town of Much Wenlock, and Mandeville, the Paralympic mascot, from the town of Stoke Mandeville.

On their journey, the mascots will remember everything they learn, and of course, they are excited to find out about all the Olympic and Paralympic sports.

In 2012, Wenlock and Mandeville will be there, you’ll be there, and the whole world will be there!

GlossaryOLYMPIC STADIUM – this is the main venue for the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games. The Opening Ceremonies, Closing Ceremonies and the Athletics competition take place here

MASCOT – a person, object or animal that is used by a team or company e.g. a sports club to promote their activity

Customise the mascots!In 2012, the world will help London and the UK celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Games. To welcome everyone, London 2012 has made two mascots: Wenlock and Mandeville. Wenlock is the mascot of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Mandeville is the mascot of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

These mascots represent the fun of the London 2012 Games. They are very special and unusual.

Wenlock and Mandeville are very excited to be getting ready for the 2012 Games.

Make the mascots your own. Go to the London 2012 website and change what they look like. You can even show your friends your new mascot in a gallery next to other new mascots from all over the world.

Activity idea

Add to the historyHave you seen the films? What will Wenlock or Mandeville do next? Write a story of your own! Work alone or in groups. Your idea could be a short story, a poem, or a radio show – in fact, it can be anything you want it. Remember: the more fun you have writing your story, the more fun people will have reading it.

GlossaryOLYMPIC STADIUM – this is the main venue for the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games. The Opening Ceremonies, Closing Ceremonies and the Athletics competition take place here

MASCOT – a person, object or animal that is used by a team or company e.g. a sports club to promote their activity

REPRESENT – to show what something means in a different way

Hello, I’m Wenlock, the official mascot for the London 2012 Olympic Games!

– ‘My name comes from the town of Much Wenlock, in Shropshire. This was the place that inspired Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games.

– I love all the Olympic sports – and I can’t wait to find out more about them.

– My eye is actually a camera lens so I can record everything I see.

– I love meeting people and making friends. The bracelets on my wrists are friendship bands, in the colours of the five Olympic Rings.

– I’m made from British steel used for the Olympic Stadium, so you might see yourself in me if I meet you along the way.

– The light on my head is inspired by the lights on London’s famous black taxis. The three points represent the places on the podium.

– I always try to do my personal best and I will do everything I can to help you do your best as well!

Do you love to learn? Do you enjoy meeting people and making new friends? Join me on my adventure at www.london2012.com/mascots

Welcome Wenlock

Activity idea

Inspiring imagesWenlock is on a journey around the UK meeting new friends and learning new things. What new things have you learnt recently? Have you made any new friends? Can you create a picture that includes the things that are most important to you? Share this picture with your new friends.

GlossaryOLYMPIC STADIUM – this is the main venue for the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games. The Opening Ceremonies, Closing Ceremonies and the Athletics competition take place here

MASCOT – a person, object or animal that is used by a team or company e.g. a sports club to promote their activity

PODIUM – a place where athletes get to stand and receive their medals.

Image sheet: WenlockWenlock has been learning about so many sports and events in preparation for London 2012. Here are some pictures of what Wenlock has learnt so far:

GlossaryPROMOTE – give information on a topic to other people

OLYMPIC VALUES – right ways to live your life through the Olympic Games

Activity idea

Promote the Olympic ValuesFriendship is one of the most important things in Wenlock’s life. What are the Olympic Values? How can you promote the Olympic Values in your school or community?

Name: WaldiWhich Games? Munich 1972More info: Waldi was the first official Olympic mascot. The stripes on his body are the same colour as three of the five Olympic colours.

Name: AmikWhich Games? Montreal 1976More info: In one of Canada’s native Indian languages, ‘amik’ means ‘beaver’. Beavers are famous for being hard workers.

Previous Olympic mascotsEach edition of the Summer Olympic Games brings new surprises. Every Host Nation will use at least one mascot to demonstrate the Olympic Values and promote the Games.

Name: HodoriWhich Games? Seoul 1988More info: Hodori shows the friendly side of the tiger. There are often friendly tigers in Korean legends. Hodori wears the Olympic Rings around his neck and the streamer on his hat in the shape of an ‘S’ stands for Seoul.

Name: CobiWhich Games? Barcelona 1992More info: Cobi had a group of mascot friends during the Barcelona 1992 Games and they were all on Spanish TV.

Name: The FuwaWhich Games? Beijing 2008More info: This group of mascots blessed the children of the world with wealth, happiness, passion, health and good luck.

GlossaryPROMOTE – give information on a topic to other people

MASCOT – a person, object or animal that is used by a team or company e.g. a sports club to promote their activity

OLYMPIC VALUES – right ways to live your life through the Olympic Games

HOST – the country holding the Games

Activity idea

Compare the mascotsHow have the mascots of the Games changed over time? Do they add to the excitement of the Games? How? Talk with others and share your ideas.

Hi, I’m Mandeville, the official mascot for the London 2012 Paralympic Games!

– My name comes from the birthplace of the Paralympic Games, Stoke Mandeville. Doctor Ludwig Guttmann had the idea that he could use sport to help his patients recover from serious back injuries. He set up a Wheelchair Basketball competition at the same time as the London 1948 Olympic Games and this is how the Paralympics began.

– I was created from one of the last two drops of British steel used for the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, giving me a shine that reflects everything around me.

– My eye is a camera lens so I can record everything I see!– From the prongs on my head representing the Paralympic logo to my small, thin tail,

I’m built for speed.– I always want to be faster, and the timer on my wrist helps me push to beat my

personal best.– From now until summer 2012 I am finding out all about Paralympic sport.

Join me on my adventure at london2012.com/mascots

Mandeville always wants to achieve a personal best and wants to help us reach that same goal. Mandeville wants to help people understand what it means to be disabled.

Activity idea

Be your bestWhat does ‘personal best’ mean to you? What is your ‘personal best’? Choose a goal you want to achieve by 2012. Write it down on paper. Do your friends have different aims? You could make a collage of all the bits of paper on your classroom wall.

Welcome Mandeville

GlossaryMASCOT – a person, object or animal that is used by a team or company e.g. a sports club to promote their activity

BIRTHPLACE – the place where an idea or something was created

GOALS – the future success of a person’s action

PERSONAL BEST – a person’s best action or success

OPENING CEREMONY – a large event in the Olympic Stadium to celebrate the start of the Games

LOGO – a picture or design which is used to promote a company, a product or an event

Image sheet: MandevilleMandeville has been learning as much as possible about London 2012 before the Paralympic Games begin. Here are some of the things that Mandeville has learnt so far:

Activity idea

Promoting the Paralympic ValuesMandeville wants everyone to feel special. What are the Paralympic Values? How can you promote the Paralympic Values in your school or community?

GlossaryPROMOTE – give information on a topic to other people

PARALYMPIC VALUES – right ways to live your life through the Paralympic Games

Name: PetraWhich Games? Barcelona 1992More info: Petra was part of a family of mascots during the Barcelona 1992 Games and the whole mascot family featured on Spanish TV.

Name: LizzieWhich Games? Sydney 2000More info: Lizzie, the frill-necked lizard, was chosen to promote the

Paralympic messages of performance, power and pride. Lizzie’s frills are in the shape of Australia.

Name: Fu Niu LeleWhich Games? Beijing 2008More info: Fu Niu Lele is a happy cow. ‘Lele’ means ‘happiness’. Cows are seen as hard working animals and this cow represented the hard working Values of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

Activity idea

Help Mandeville to advertise sport!Can you play all the sports that Mandeville is learning? Which of these sports do you play in your school or community? Have you heard of all the sports in the list? If not, why not find out about them?

Activity idea

School mascotWhy are mascots important? Do you have a mascot for your school? Does your favourite team have its own mascot? Can you make your own mascot for your school?

Previous Paralympic mascotsEvery four years, different mascots help us celebrate the Games. These mascots are chosen to reflect the history of their Host Nation.

Name: ProteasWhich Games? Athens 2004More info: Proteas is the seahorse. His name comes from a mythological Greek God. Proteas is a bit like the Greek word ‘protos’, which means ‘first in rank’ or ‘excellent’.

GlossaryMASCOT – a person, object or animal that is used by a team or company e.g. a sports club to promote their activity

HOST – the country holding the Games

HISTORY – the stories of past events