On Sunday 8 July, the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay – presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung – will travel 107.66 miles through 12 communities on its journey from Cambridge to Luton.
• Today the Relay will travel 107.66 miles
• 131 Torchbearers will carry the Flame
• Evening celebration to take place at Popes Meadow Park, Luton
• Images from today can be downloaded here
The Relay will travel through the following communities: Cambridge, St Ives, Huntingdon, Bedford, Cotton End, Letchworth Garden City, Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, St Albans, Hemel Hempstead and Luton.
Highlights for today include:
6.34am – The first Torchbearer of the day Alice Ellison, 18, from Cambridge will carry the Flame on a route around Trinity College’s Great Court. Alice was nominated by Cambridge City Council through the LOCOG programme for her sporting achievements and her work as a Young Ambassador for the Cambridge School Sports Partnership where she inspires other young people and champions sport in her local community.
6.46am – Edward Roberts, 26. From Cambridge, will carry the Flame on a punt along the River Cam to Magdalene Bridge. Edward was selected through the Samsung campaign for his volunteering and community work over the years with Linkline, SexYOUality and the Cambridge and District Community Mediation Service.
2.39pm – Stephen Ells, 51, from Waltham Cross who was nominated through the LOCOG campaign for dedicating over 30 years to teaching young people to sail will carry the Flame around the Hatfield House estate before passes the Flame on to Alice Breheny, 38, from Rickmansworth who was nominated through the Samsung campaign for raising over £35,000 for brain cancer research and for seeking any opportunity to raise awareness of brain cancer. She has lost both her sister and her father to brain tumours.
3.30pm – At the Hertfordshire University Sports Hall Joanna Hancock, 33 from Harpenden will take the flame through the Sports Hall to meet representatives of the Hertfordshire Youth Games. Joanne was nominated through the Coca-Cola Future Flames programme for her charity fundraising. The Flame will then be passed on to Keith Butten, 45, from Hulcote in Bedforshire who was nominated through the LOCOG scheme for his voluntary work as Chairman of Luton Rugby Club and for helping establish the Richard Langhorn Trust named after a friend. The charity takes disabled children on trips related to the four sports greatest to Richards’ heart - rugby, sailing, basketball and skiing.
6.46pm – Simon Stothard, 29, from Luton who was nominated by Luton Borough Council through the LOCOG programme for despite living with Cystic Fibrosis raising thousands of pounds in support of Cystic Fibrosis (which he has done by undertaking gruelling challenges such as climbing Ben Nevis twice, many long cycling quests covering thousands of miles and marathon runs) will hand the Flame to the last Torchbearer of the day.
6.50pm – David Cole, 71, from Luton will carry the Flame on to the stage at the Evening Celebration. David was nominated through the Lloyds TSB programme and for dedicating many years to teaching locally and since his retirement his voluntary work at the local hospice, his involvement in the local musical society and for being one of the most mature Sunday League football referees in the county.
The evening celebration will take place at Popes Meadow Park, Luton.
The evening celebration event begins at 5pm and will feature a variety of entertainment staged by LOCOG and the three Presenting Partners of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay - Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung - with support from Luton Borough Council.
Young Guns will perform at the Evening Celebration. A dance troupe will also provide a unique fusion of street performance, theatre and sport and there will also be a performance from dance act Twist and Pulse. There will also be performances by local acts.
Towards the end of the two-hour show, the last Torchbearer of the day – David Cole - will light a celebration cauldron on stage at the event which will enable the Olympic Flame to be seen by the audience.
Other Torchbearer highlights include:
Sarah Gosling from Cowes is carrying the Flame in Stevenage. Sarah is a two time Olympic Gold medallist. She started sailing at the age of 6 and became a full time sailor in 1997. In 2003 joined a British Yngling Team in the triple handed Olympic Class boat and won Gold at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. In 2006 a new Yngling team was formed and the team had podium finishes at every event in 2007, taking Gold at the World Championships. In 2008 the team won both World and European Championships as well as the Gold medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Competed at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. Sarah was elected to the BOA Athletes’ Commission in 2010 by her fellow athletes.
Nominated through LOCOG’s public nomination campaign by his father, David Shepherd, 19, from St Neot’s, will carry the Flame in Bedford. David has tirelessly worked as a volunteer for Badminton England and the National Line Judges Association even though he has only just turned 18. He inspires juniors to give up their time to act as young officials and he gives up his time to support them at national events and he is highly respected by Badminton England because of this. His rise to the top in line judging has inspired all of us because, after only starting this aspect of his career 14 months ago and line judging at the NIA, All England tournament at the age of 16, he has now been selected to line judge at the Olympic Games.
Nominated through LOCOG’s public nomination campaign - Barry Funnell, 49, from Clapham (Bedfordshire), will carry the Flame in Luton. Barry is the CEO of the charity Word for the World. Barry was paralysed from the chest down in an accident 29 years ago. Against the odds, he went on to qualify as a dentist. He later gave up his career in dentistry to go to Malawi, Africa, to do language development and translated the Bible for the Sena people in a record ten years. This was despite 20 bouts of Malaria. Over 50 literacy centres now operate in Malawi, teaching hundreds to read and write. Barry loves sport, and his disability doesn’t stop him.
Gobi Ranganathan, 35 from Stevenage, will carry the Flame in Stevenage. Gobi was nominated through the Lloyds TSB public nomination campaign is currently the number one British men's singles wheelchair badminton player and ranked 8th in the world. He has spina bifida and as well as competing and working, Gobi takes time to visit local schools and inspires children of all abilities and ages to get involved in sport and never lets his disability stop him from achieving his goals.
Ellie Beaumont, from Berkhamsted is carrying the Flame in Hemel Hempstead. Ella is part of the GB women’s Wheelchair Basketball team and played in the World Championships. She also plays Wheelchair Tennis for GB.
James Williams, Director, Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola Northwest Europe & Nordics, said: "Today, more Coca-Cola Future Flames will help us celebrate the fifty-first day of our amazing journey, including Kasper Ter Kuile and Ella Beaumont who carry the Olympic Flame in Cambridge and Hemel Hempstead. We will also get everyone to Move to the Beat tonight as we bring Young Guns to the stage in Luton."
Sally Hancock, Director, London 2012 Partnership at Lloyds Banking Group, said: "With less than 20 days to go, the Olympic Torch Relay continues its journey heading to Luton today. Lloyds TSB is proud to bring the excitement of London 2012 to Hertfordshire and is creating as many opportunities as possible for people to get involved as the Flame passes their door. We are calling on communities throughout the region to cheer on their local Lloyds TSB Torchbearers – extraordinary people like Gobi Ranganathan and David Butler, carrying the Flame in Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead. Our Lloyds TSB Flame Followers continue to dazzle and entertain, lighting the route ahead of the Flame before their performance in the Flame Followers Spectacular in Luton tonight."
Sunny Hwang, Vice President & Head of Global Sports Marketing, Samsung Electronics, said: "Samsung's Olympic Torch Relay campaign shares the Olympic spirit and encourages everyone to take part in London 2012. Samsung has offered an inspiring opportunity to people around the world to carry the Olympic Flame, as part of our ambition to make London 2012 Everyone's Olympic Games."
For more information visit: www.london2012.com
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