West Norfolk Olympic torch relay

I may have missed out on carrying the official 2012 Olympic torch but I am delighted to announce I will taking part in a four-day torch relay across West Norfolk using one of the torches used for the 1948 Olympics - the last to be held in London.

The relay is being championed by the West Norfolk Sports Council and will see the torch, on loan from Loughborough University, carried into more than 80 villages ahead of the London Olympics. The relay will be held over the Diamond Jubilee bank holiday weekend (2-5 June) and will start and finish at Lynnsport in King's Lynn.

Norfolk Olympian Paul Evans, who competed at the 1992 and the 1996 Olympic Games, will start the relay just after 9am on Saturday, June 2 before handing over to yours truly in North Wootton. I will then run a two-mile route before passing over the torch in Castle Rising.

As well as the relay, sponsored three-mile runs are also being planned for many of the villages visited with proceeds going to the Stroke Association and the stroke unit of Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital. There will also be sports taster sessions in many of the villages along the relay route. 

I really think the relay will bring a feel-good factor to the area ahead of the Games and I am delighted to be taking part. I also got a chance to have a good feel of the torch I am going to be carrying when it was used to kick start a campaign which aims to inspire West Norfolk residents to take part in regular activity in the build up to next year’s Games and trust me it is heavier than it looks!