Students thrilled to be living Olympic dream next week

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By Jesse Robichaud
Times & Transcript Staff

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REXTON - Bonar Law Memorial High School's Bengals may proudly sport the orange and black, but three students were happy to receive their white Olympic track suits this week.

The suits are distributed to torchbearers who help carry the Olympic torch across Canada in time for this winter's Olympic Games in Vancouver.

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was sought after by many Canadians this year through corporate-sponsored contests and, amazingly, three students from this rural high school in Kent County were chosen.

Grade 9 student Peter Hachey will carry the torch for more than 300 metres through Miramichi on Nov. 23, while Grade 11 student Carolyn Simon and Grade 12 student Justin Lawson will do the same through Hillsborough on Nov. 24.

The lure of the Olympics has always captivated Peter, although he admits he is not a typical sports fan.

"I don't play any sports, I am more the music, sit in my basement and play drums all day kind of person," he said.

However, Peter doesn't mind getting wrapped up in the glitz that surrounds the Olympic Games, especially when they are being held in Canada.

"I enjoy the whole spectacle and I used to sit around and watch the Olympics when I would get home from school when I was a little kid," he said.

Peter and the rest of his family entered RBC Royal Bank's contest to carry the torch, but he didn't quite believe his mom when she told him that he had won.

"I thought she was pulling my leg. I just started freaking out as much as she did."

On the other end of the spectrum, Justin is a multi-sport athlete who competes in hockey, soccer, cross-country running, and track & field. "I usually watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. It's always a big deal with the dancing and performances," he said, admitting he never thought he would end up participating in the torch run.

He had a few tense moments when sending in his paperwork to confirm his spot in the torch run. After sending in a couple of sets of documents to avoid any clerical errors, Justin was actually surprised by a teacher who announced the news to his class before he had the chance.

"Some of the guys couldn't believe I hadn't told them," he said. "I wasn't really sure of it."

Carolyn was awoken at 2 a.m. to hear the news. "I was just so delighted, I guess," she says. "I screamed, jumped, danced, at two in the morning."

She's blown away by the magnitude of the honour. "Just to think you helped pass this flame on, and it's going across Canada, and you were part of that, it's just really a big honour to have that experience."

Justin and Carolyn were encouraged to participate in Coca Cola's Sogo Active program by their physical education teacher.

The program asks kids to set and meet a target for physical activity. Each week that Justin was active for 450 minutes, and each week that Carolyn was active for 375 minutes, they were able to enter their names in an online contest.

Thanks to the torch's dual flame technology, it is virtually impossible to extinguish in reasonable weather conditions.

Justin is confident the run will go smoothly.

"I don't think it will extinguish. They have spare ones too," he said, comfortable with the instructions he has received for the big day.

Carolyn is a bit more anxious.

"I am more excited than nervous but I am just a bit afraid I might burn myself or light myself on fire," she says with a laugh.

Despite being initially discouraged by the $400-plus price tag to keep the torch he will run with, Peter said he realized it will be a priceless memento.