While they may not be competing for gold, silver or bronze, about 200 Edmontonians will be showing their Olympic spirit by carrying the torch this January.
Coca-Cola Canada yesterday named a few of its torchbearers for Edmonton and the surrounding area. These lucky few will get to carry the Olympic flame between Jan. 12 and 16 as the torch relay makes its way to the opening ceremony for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games on Feb. 12.
“I was very excited when I found out,” said Josephine Olivieri, a stay-at-home Edmonton mom. “It’s something that I put my mind to and I really wanted it so I was very excited when I heard the news.”
Olivieri applied online at icoke.ca and had to write an essay about why she should be chosen to carry the torch.
“I’m turning 40 this year and I’ve always taken care of myself and this was something I really wanted to do,” Olivieri said. “Anything you put your mind to that you really want you can accomplish.”
Erin Clark will not only be carrying the Olympic flame in her home province, she’ll be running her leg through her very own downtown neighbourhood.
“I’m very excited. It’s getting close and it’s starting to feel real,” said the teacher and cheerleading coach. “It means a lot to me, my whole team is coming out to cheer me on.”
Clark said just being able to be a part of the relay makes not being able to get time off for the Olympics easier to take. Not to mention what she gets to keep from the experience. “I actually get to keep the torch afterwards,” she said. “That’s really exciting too.”
Millions of people applied but just 12,000 were chosen to bring the torch across the country to Vancouver where the flame will be lit and burn for the remainder of the games.
