Burnham-On-Sea charity runner Jason Vickers is among several local people who have this week been officially announced as torch bearers in this Spring’s Olympics torch relay.
Jason, who has raised more than £11,000 for charity over the past seven years, will be carrying the flame through Glastonbury during the Olympic Torch Relay on May 22nd.
Burnham’s Tony Deahl and Tony Bird will also be carrying the flame through Wells on 22nd May.
And Katrina Doyle, 13, from Burnham will also be carrying the torch through Dunster on 21st May.
Burnham-based community gardener Sarah Milner Simonds, pictured below, is also amoing those chosen and will be carrying the flame through Dunster on May 21st.
91-year-old Burnham triathlete Arthur Gilbert will also be taking part, as we reported here, by carrying the flame through Minehead on May 21st.
And Dot Reaney, 85, from the village of Mark, near Burnham, has been selected to take part by carrying the flame through Washford on May 21st.
Jason told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “It’s a great honour to have been picked and I’m really looking forward to taking part – it will be an exciting day!”
And Arthur told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I am really thrilled to have been picked – I was so pleased to receive the official email confirming that I will be taking part. It will be such a memorable day and I hope lots of people will come out along the route.”
The Olympic Flame will arrive from Greece on 18th May 2012 and an 8,000 mile Torch Relay will begin at Land’s End on 19th May before travelling across the whole UK in 70 days.
Hopes that the Olympic Flame would come through Burnham-On-Sea or Highbridge were dashed last year with the unveiling of the route, as we reported here.
Having made its way up through Cornwall and Devon, the Olympic flame – which will be carried by an average of 115 torchbearers each day – will arrive in Taunton for an evening celebration ceremony on Monday May 21st.
Earlier that day, it will have headed over Exmoor, passing through Porlock, Minehead, Dunster, Carhampton, Washford and Williton. On Tuesday morning, the torch will depart Taunton and head through Ilminster, Yeovil, Ilchester and Somerton on its way to Street and Glastonbury.
From there, torchbearers from across Somerset will carry the flame through Coxley, Wells, Croscombe, Shepton Mallet and Frome. The route then heads through Southwick, Trowbridge, Bradford on Avon, Bath, Bitton, Longwell Green and Hanham before arriving in Bristol for another evening celebration.
The final torchbearer will carry the Flame into the Olympic Stadium during the Opening Ceremony on 27th July 2012 when the cauldron will be lit, and the Games will be opened.
Pictured: From top, Burnham’s Jason Vickers, Sarah Milner Simonds and Arthur Gilbert who have been selected as torch bearers
