WOLFPACK VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS CHOSEN AS 2010 OLYMPIC TORCH BEARERS December 30, 2009
Posted by lread in Men's Volleyball, Women's Volleyball.trackback
(Gord Perrin-left and Amanda Frayne- right. A. Snucins photo)
Two members of the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack volleyball teams have been chosen to be torchbearers when the Olympic Flame comes to the Interior next month. Gord Perrin of the men’s volleyball team (3rd year, outside hitter, Creston, BC) and Amanda Frayne (3rd year, outside hitter, Kamloops, BC) were chosen after applications were sent to Coca Cola, one of the Olympic Sponsors.
“At first, I didn’t realize how huge it was to be nominated for something l like this,” says Frayne. “ I told people and they congratulated me and I really didn’t understand why. But now, I realize how luck I was to be picked for something so prestigious; something recognized around the world. I believe that being a torchbearer is a one in a lifetime opportunity. To be part of a ritual so old, well known and respected is a huge honour. There are only a few select people across the country who get to take pat in this and I feel proud to be one of them.”
“It’s an amazing feeling to be chosen,” added Perrin. “ The flame represents the best athletes in the world. I am so excited, I can’t wait.” Perrin says country against country rivalry is the ultimate. “They are the most exciting competition there is” he explains about the Olympics. “Watching them as a little kid was always exciting.”
Perrin, who was one of the captains with Canada’s Junior National men’s volleyball team at this year’s World Championships knows what it’s like to perform on the international stage.
Frayne too is a fan of the Olympics. “ I absolutely love the summer Olympics with swimming, diving, beach volleyball, indoor volleyball and gymnastics. My mom loves Team Canada hockey, so I watch almost every hockey game during the Winter Olympics. I think that the excitement of the Olympics wears off on everyone. It’s hard not to get caught up in it. And to have it in our own country and own province will never happen again in my lifetime, so for that, I am extremely excited.”
Frayne’s mother will be on hand to see her daughter run with the flame.
Both Frayne and Perrin say they are grateful to Coca Cola for helping them realize their dream. Coke was looking for people who met a certain criteria to run with the flame. The criteria was that of a person leading a healthy, active lifestyle coupled with a focus on living ‘green’. Both of our TRU Torchbearers met that criteria.
The two will run with the torch the morning of January 27 th in Salmon Arm. They have to drive to the North Shuswap to do the run because their teams will be flying to Saskatoon when the flame arrives in Kamloops, later that day.
Once the flame gets to Kamloops, a number of other TRU Athletes will be part of a special ceremony at Hillside Stadium. Although none of them will get to run with the flame. One other person with ties to TRU Athletics will run with the flame in Salmon Arm. Kaitlyn Baskerville is a support staff member with the men’s volleyball team. She was chosen to run with the flame through another one of the torch run sponsors: RBC.
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