Our internationally successful disabled athletes will have their own stamp on May 7, 2012. The two stamps in the Disabled Sports miniature sheet depict Leo-Pekka Tähti, the World Record holder in wheelchair racing, World Champion and Paralympic gold medallist, and Saana-Maria Sinisalo, an archer who has finished in points winning places in the World Championships. Both of the depicted athletes have high hopes of winning medals at the next Paralympics in London in 2012.
In addition to the stamps, the miniature sheets depict other successful disabled athletes: goalball players Petri Posio and Erkki Miinala, judoka Jani Kallunki, cyclist Jarmo Ollanketo, and pilot Marko Törmänen.
- As disabled sports have not had a stamp before, the year of the London Paralympics 2012 is a good time to recognize our internationally successful athletes by releasing a stamp. Thanks to his achievements, Leo-Pekka Tähti was an obvious choice. In 2011, the Finnish Athletics Federation selected him as the athlete of the year and the Finnish Sports Association of Persons with Disabilities chose him as the disabled athlete of the year, says Tommi Kantola, Product Manager at Itella Posti Oy.
The stamp is designed by Klaus Welp. The miniature sheet will contain the text “Disabled Sports” in Finnish and Swedish Braille, together with 1st class indications. The miniature sheet will be released as an issue of 400,000 copies.
The Finnish Sports Association of Persons with Disabilities (VAU) acts as strong body promoting disabled sports. The association covers nearly 40 forms of sports, encouraging diverse disabled sports and exercise.
- The stamp sheet is dynamic and colourful. It is a truly wonderful gesture from Posti to depict disabled athletes in their stamps. The sheet tells a number of diverse stories of disabled sports, says Nina Jakonen, Head of Communications at VAU.
VAU supports the exercise of persons with physical disabilities, visual impairment, or mental retardation, and that of persons with organ transplantations, as well as their enhancing their chances and conditions for competing. VAU’s operations cover activities with young people, exercise, competitive and top sports, and organizational activities. The Finnish Paralympic Committee is responsible for top level disabled sports, and sending the Finnish team to the Paralympics.
Itella Posti Oy
Itella Communications
Finnish Sports Association of Persons with Disabilities (VAU ry)
