Meet Ray of Light and Snowflake - the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Mascots

Ray of Light and Snowflake were the mascots of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

ⒸIPC

Ray of Light and Snowflake were the mascots of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. They are space travellers who came to Earth from two different planets. Ray of Light came from a planet that was perpetually hot and landed on Earth. With amber skin and bright, large eyes and hair looking like flames, he was overwhelmed by new experiences. Ray of Light soon found out that he and the people of Earth had a lot in common. He took up Nordic skiing and became friends with the people around him. As the only alien on earth, he felt lonely, until one day when he saw a shooting star falling to earth. It turned out to be Snowflake – a girl with skin as white as snow, coming from a planet that was perpetually cold. Snowflake and Ray of Light became friends, inventing the sports of ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling. The Paralympic mascots Ray of Light and Snowflake stayed on earth, finally acknowledging that, through sport, they are not so different from humans after all.

Get to Know: The Designers

Ray of Light and Snowflake were designed by Natalia Balashova and Anna Zhilinsky. The mascots were chosen through a nationwide competition, through which every resident had a chance to offer their design ideas. 24,048 submissions were received by the Committee and a shortlist of 11 ideas were presented to the public. While the Olympic mascots (the Leopard, the Hare and the Polar Bear) were selected through a public vote, the Paralympic mascots were picked by a jury consisting of Paralympians.