On thin ice

Date: 24/07/1997

You couldn't make this stuff up if you tried: Social Affairs Commissioner Pádraig Flynn has despatched five hand-picked anti-racism representatives on a round-the-world skating mission which will cover more than 10,000 kilometres, 16 countries and five continents.

Before you ask which directorate-general you should transfer to for a similar job to keep you out of the office, these are not Commission folk but real skaters who have passed rigorous physical and psychological tests to be chosen to take part in “One globe one skate”.

One of the key questions in the psychological weeding-out of would-be skaters was: “Are you completely mad?”.

The five who gave the right answer are now whizzing around the planet raising funds for South Africa's deprived youth, watched over by their patron-in-chief Nelson Mandela.

Flynn's involvement stems from his role as Commission figurehead of the European Year Against Racism.