Duxford Girl

I'm not sure that it really hit me until the moment I was standing with my fellow torchbearers and one of the organizers handed me my torch. Judging from the reactions of everybody else in the room, it was a very real moment for everyone involved. I'll start off by thanking my employer, the Canadian Pacific Railway for choosing for me to take part in this exceptional opportunity. The CPR Olympic Committee's organization and support throughout has been fantastic and I also appreciate that they kept me close to home for my run because of my new-mummy status. They have really worked hard to make this a special event for all the company torchbearers. I wish them luck with everybody else running as well as their 50 volunteers who will soon be heading to Vancouver.

Thanks to Gabrielle, Jennifer and Alison for turning up to see me run. It's a bit of a drive from Calgary and I was happy to see familiar faces. Special thanks to Gabrielle (my work mum) for helping out with an extremely fussy baby all day. Thanks to Evil Scientist for giving me my day in the sun and not correcting anyone who called him Mr. Dubois as well as taking loads of pictures.

I was personally impressed with VANOC's organization of the event. It made the occasion so much more than just the few minutes I ran. The day of the event I showed up at the meeting spot about two hours before my run. There were two groups of torchbearers in Lethbridge and I was in the first. In fact, I was the first person to carry the flame in Lethbridge. Before the meeting, we torchbearer's milled around getting to know one another. As you might imagine, the excitement in that room was infectious. Within our group was CTV Calgary Anchorman Darrel Janz.

At the onset of our meeting we were told to stand in a semi-circle in order of our numbers. Then we had the opportunity to get to know the person we would be handing off the flame to. After that we all told the our stories of how we were chosen to carry the torch. It was a diverse group from high school students to recently retired people. Some had received their spot through iCoke or Visa and some were chosen because their sponsoring company had received positions. We were from all over the country and one women had come up from Washington DC where she works. One of the men in our group would be the second person in his family to run with the flame as his wife had run 22 years ago during the Calgary Olympic Torch Run. She met him at the end of his leg of the run wearing her full uniform from 1988(it still fit, you go girl!). To me, this highlights the spirit of the Torch Relay; 12,000 of us from the abysmally ordinary (like me) to the heroic (like Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire) to real athletes (like Simon Whitfield) all doing this small task that amounts to a collective sense of joy throughout the country. I'm usually pretty cynical but this event is one of the rare times I've been able to look past that cynicism and see the good.

After we received our briefing with helpful information about how to handle the torch as well as tips about making sure the pants to our tracksuits were tied up (apparently there's been issues with loose trousers along the way) we headed out to out waiting bus. The second group of torchbearers were waiting to start their briefing and cheered us on as we walked through their ranks. During the bus ride through the very familiar streets of Lethbridge we all shared stories about why we applied to run and what the relay meant to us. At the start of the relay I was first off and got cheered off by the rest of my group.

I started my run on the tracks just beyond the east end of the Lethbridge CPR Viaduct. The flame travelled across the bridge being pulled by a handcart piloted by four other members of the CPR. At the lead was a highrail containing members of the CPR Olympic Committee. Also on hand was the CPR Spirit Train, http://www8.cpr.ca/cms/English/General+Public/2010/CP+Spirit+Train+Wall+of+Fame.htm. I was amazed at the amount of people taking my picture and I posed for photos with a lot of different people (including my own kid but not my husband because he was, as usual, behind the camera). Plus, the official photographers and media kept calling my name to get my attention. It all added to the incredible excitement. When the handcart arrived I high-fived the guys driving and then was asked to climb up on the car with the flame caldron (given my proximity to the ground, no small feat). I lit my flame and then was helped down by one of the support runners.

Because the support runners are dressed all in black, they've been knick named “the ninjas” by the Torch Relay staff. They don't only run along with the torchbearers, they handle them, make sure they run in the centre of the road, stop them for photo ops and if need be provide security (let's just say that when they aren't being ninjas, they always get their man). I set my pace for the run at a pretty good clip (well, for me, at least). Tempting as it would have been to milk my 300m for all it was worth, I was more concerned about looking like someone who's actually a bit fit (in spite of the lousy extra post-pardum weight I'm slowly but surely battling down). Besides, the adrenaline was flowing so high I ran uphill without even noticing it; a friend pointed it out afterward. I ran up Scenic Drive and just across from the Lethbridge Lodge the next runner and I did the torch “kiss” and she began her run. My flame was extinguished, and I boarded the pick-up support bus.

One of the neat things about the day was that I followed the rest of my group and got to hear everyone's story as they climbed back on the bus. Each person boarded with a smile on their face and soot on their torch. We were asked to sign a guest book and enjoyed the rest of the journey while drinking cool refreshments provided by (who else?) Coca-Cola. We waved out the window to all the people lining the streets and it was nice to see the amount of people wearing team Canada articles of clothing and waving flags. It's said that Canadians are apathetic but I certainly did not see any apathy in the crowd that day.

When we arrived back at the starting point, our torches were deactivated and we were given the box and special bag to store the torch in. My son managed to work his usual magic as Evil Scientist brought him up to the window of the bus. Junior was collectively “Awwwwed” right before he pushed out his bottom lip and started to cry. We didn't stay for the Celebration because baby was really done for the day and I was worried that he'd been outside for too long.

I'm probably missing a million other details in this but it was such a full great day. My only regret is not being able to drop more of the pregger weight before the big day so I could have looked less dumpy in my tracksuit. If I've learned anything from this experience it's to always put my name in for things and not assume that there's no way I'll get picked. There's no harm in trying and sometimes wonderful things can happen.

Photos in the album are all credited to Evil Scientist. Below are some of the links that carried the story of the day:

http://www.duxfordgirl.ca/inmemoriam/browse.php?id=15

http://www.evilscientist.ca/article.php?story=20100119113056295

http://www.vancouver2010.com/more-2010-information/olympic-torch-relay/olympic-torch-relay-interactive-map/

http://www.vancouver2010.com/more-2010-information/olympic-torch-relay/daily-highlights/days-80-highlights_234022As.html

http://bloggn.grainews.ca/lee_hart/2010/01/go-flame-go.html

http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/content/view/142233/109/

http://www.uleth.ca/notice/display.html?b=300&s=13397

http://www.country95.fm/news/