Strathmore residents carry the torch
Amy Gregson- Times Reporter
A couple of lucky Strathmore residents were chosen as two of the 12,000 torchbearers across Canada to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay en route to Vancouver.
Nancy Wilson, an administrative assistant for the superintendent at the Golden Hills School Division, won the opportunity to carry the torch through RBC.
“What an awesome honour to be picked,” said Wilson. “One of 12,000 in Canada. It’s pretty awesome.”
Wilson entered an online contest, and had to write an essay about active living and how she tries to be a role model for her children, friends and community.
She was then contacted by RBC to say she had been chosen to run and would eventually find out that she would carry the torch in Drumheller.
The day finally came on Jan. 16 as she walked the torch up through the hoodoos.
“I thought, ‘wow; this is great,” said Wilson. “This is one of the best places in Canada to be running the torch. It was just awesome. I was just speechless when I saw the crowd and the media.”
Wilson said the event was well planned and the torch committee showed the runners exactly what they should be doing.
She believes she wasn’t nervous because it was so well organized; and because of the way the committee made her feel.
Wilson got the opportunity to buy her torch and now has it as a keepsake.
“It will be something I can show my grandchildren and talk about. It was really neat each torchbearer had their own torch and it just wasn’t one torch that was passed. It’s just an awesome keepsake to keep the memories alive.”
Erin MacDonald was chosen to carry the torch in Fernie, B.C. on Jan. 23.
The Mount Royal University nursing student, entered through McDonald’s, where she works in Strathmore.
She also had to write an essay on how she lives an active life and how she helps others live actively.
“It was beautiful there. There was a lot more people there than I thought there would be. At 8 a.m. there was 500 people in the streets. It was pretty nerve wracking,” said MacDonald.
MacDonald said the torch committee was really supportive and made sure everyone was revved up and not nervous for their run.
She was lucky enough that MacDonald’s and Coco-Cola both chipped in to buy her the torch she carried.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. My whole family was there and were very supportive about it.”
She said her friends from McDonald’s came to show their support as well.