From 3 May to 2 June, the Olympic Torch has met...

Strong women

The strength of Brazil's women has been on show throughout the first 30 days of the Olympic Torch Relay. Their stories have been inspirational. Seeing them carrying the Olympic Torch, with its message of peace and of unity, has been one of the strongest symbols of the first month of the relay.

Some of the female torchbearers who have left lasting memories include blogger Magá Moura, athletes such as Suzy Bittencourt, Mag Pioresan and Érica Santos, and activists including Creuza Oliveira and Luislinda Santos, the first black woman to be appointed a judge in Brazil.

Magá Moura, icon of black pride and female empowerment, runs with the Olympic Torch

Magá carried the torch in her home town of Feira de Santana (Rio 2016/Fernando Soutello)

Examples to us all

Although they may not be Olympic or Paralympic athletes, many of the most memorable participants in the relay know what it is to fight, to struggle and never give up. Lourival Quirino didn't let the inconvenient fact of living 500 kilometres from the sea stop him becoming an open-water swimming champion. Hanan Daqqah, a 12-year-old refugee from Syria, is bravely making a new life for herself in Brazil and was among the first 10 torchbearers in Brasília. Luiz Felipe Pereira was born with hydrocephalus, but that doesn't stop him from being a DJ and dreaming of international stardom.

'I feel Brazilian' says 12-year-old Brazilian refugee

Innovators

In the small northeastern town of Ipojuca,  Levy Souza used a special amphibious wheelchair to cross the beach of Porto de Galinhas and get into the sea. The invention is a product of his very own NGO, which is focused on helping people with an impairment enjoy the seaside and get around the beach.

A rainbow nation

The unparalleled diversity of the host nation has been fully visible during the relay. From indigenous pataxó people carrying the torch in Bahía to transgender torchbearer Bianka Lins in rural Minas Gerais, we have seen people from all walks of life coming together behind the torch.

"The important thing is to love each other," says transgender torchbearer

Torchbearer Raoni Vieira represeneted the Pataxó people in Bahia (Photo: Rio2016/Andre Mourao)

Local characters

Brazilians are celebrated for their creativity and spontaneity. Some of the best examples of this came in the first week of the relay, when a dentist and marathon runner dressed up as a giant Rio 2016 torch to entertain the crowds, while a local farmer composed and performed a song about the Olympic flame. 

The best torch relay videos

Inspirational athletes

Brazilian sports stars such as Thiago Pereira, Joaquim Cruz, Terezinha Guilhermina and Fabiana Claudino all gave us a taste of what to expect during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Passionate crowds acclaimed these sporting heroes during their part in the relay; the atmosphere in Rio itself when the events get underway should be electric.

 Volleyball star Fabiana Claudino was thrilled to be the first person to carry the torch on Brazilian soil

Iconic locations

In just one month the torch has had the chance to witness some of the best of Brazil's natural and cultural variety. Vinicius, the Rio 2016 mascot, has seen it all:

Vinicius catches some rays on one of the glorious beaches of the North East

The torch visited Chapada Diamantina (Photo: Rio 2016/Andre Luiz Mello)

Radical adventures

Most torchbearers have been content to jog with the torch for their allotted 200 metres. A memorable few have chosen more unusual forms of transport; in the last month the torch has surfed, abseilied, parapented and travelled by donkey, ox and steam train.

From steam train to zipline, how the torch has travelled

The culture of 114 Brazilian towns

Dance, music, religious rituals and traditional costumes have made this one of the most colourful torch relays in history. There can be few countries that come close to matching all the cultural and ethnic variety of this giant and welcoming land.

The flame's journey across the diverse cultural landscape of Brazil