LONDON 2012 – Day 39: Olympic Flame to visit Don Valley Stadium and Magna Science and Adventure Centre on its journey from Sheffield to Cleethorpes

On Tuesday 26 June, the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay – presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung – will travel 77.24 miles through 16 communities on its journey from Sheffield to Cleethorpes.

– Today the Relay will travel 77.24 miles

– 130 Torchbearers will carry the Flame

– Evening celebration to take place at Meridian Park, Cleethorpes

Download images from today

The Relay will travel through the following communities: Sheffield, Rotherham, Dalton, Thrybergh, Conisbrough, Warmsworth, Doncaster, Armthorpe, Dunsville, Hatfield, Scunthorpe, Brigg, Wrawby, Immingham, Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

Highlights for today include:

7:30am – The first Torchbearer of the day will be Lucy Brunt, 13 from Sheffield, who will start with the flame from Don Valley Stadium.  Lucy was nominated for her courage and determination in dealing with her Down's syndrome and the fantastic work she does with the disability sport project called Within Reach.

8:12am – The Flame will be carried into Magna Science and Adventure Centre by poet and storyteller Debjani Chatterjee, who was nominated through the Lloyds TSB campaign for her extensive work with schools, community centres, libraries and in particular Sheffield Children's Hospital. 

6:35pm – As the Flame makes its way closer towards the evening celebration, it will take a trip on the Cleethorpes Light Railway, carried by Mick Clorley, 56 from Grimsby.  Mick was nominated to be a Torchbearer because of his outstanding contribution to local sport and his 'never give in' attitude, which has seen him battle bowel cancer and also set up a charity that supports others affected by this illness.  

6:50pm – The last Torchbearer of the day will be Jack Andrew, aged 92, from Wakefield.  A World War II veteran, Jack was nominated through the Lloyds TSB campaign for his inspirational passion for sport, which has seen him coach local football and cricket teams and continue to play golf for despite having both knees replaced.  Jack will light the cauldron at the evening celebration in Cleethorpes.

The evening celebration will take place at Meridian Park in Cleethorpes 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 North East Lincolnshire Council.  The show will start at 5pm.

North East Lincolnshire Council will present two 10-minute slots of locally-programmed entertainment during the evening celebration. This will include a community street dance performance to open the event and a showcase of music from the East Coast Elite Brass and Percussion Corps and the Gyko Community Taiko Group who will play after the Olympic Flame has arrived on stage. The East Coast Elite Brass & Percussion Corps will also welcome the Olympic Flame at the Showground with a specially commissioned fanfare.

Lloyds TSB Flame Followers Spectacular will feature their troupe of performers who will travel along the route of the 70 day Olympic Torch Relay.  Their performance is a unique fusion of street performance, theatre and sport – celebrating the endeavour, athleticism, agility and skill of our national Olympic sporting heroes, Team GB.

Coca-Cola will bring the hit band Tribes to the evening celebration, whilst ‘Britain's Got Talent' finalists Twist & Pulse have been chosen by Samsung to invite the nation to take part in the Olympic Games experience at each of the 66 Evening Celebration events across the country.

Torchbearer highlights:

Ben Parkinson, 28, from Doncaster, will carry the Flame in Doncaster. Ben, who was nominated through the LOCOG campaign, joined the army at 16 and the Paras at 17. Para selection was tough because of his size, always being injured, but he persevered, trying 7 times before passing! He was in the 1st allied vehicle in to Iraq in 2003 aged 18.

Ben served in Kosovo and on a Green Goddess fire engine before deployment to Afghanistan. Injured in Sept '06 by an anti tank mine, he wasn't expected to survive. Ben fought back every step of the way and is still the same funny and caring Ben. He's in the gym and rehab 12 hrs a day and now walks with crutches. The rest of his time spent raising money for many military charities and as patron of his beloved Pilgrim Bandits. Ben doesn't think himself badly injured or unlucky. When asked he says 'it could be worse it could have been one of my mates.' He is still very much part of 7 Para and he's still very much a soldier.

Simon Wheatcroft, 29, from Doncaster will carry the Flame in Armthorpe.  Selected through the Coca-Cola Future Flames programme, despite being blind, Simon is an ultra marathon runner, running distances between 50 and 100 kilometres at a time. Simon learned to run outside and used this as a platform to build his confidence to such an extent that he now competes in ultra running distance running. Simon inspires people from all walks of life and abilities to lead active and healthy lifestyles and he's currently working towards completing all the major ultra distance marathon events across the UK. Along the way, he wants to inspire and engage other visually impaired people to take up running.

James Needham, 28, from Doncaster, nominated through the Lloyds TSB public nomination campaign will carry the Flame in Doncaster. James was in a car accident which resulted in being confined to a wheelchair. Since then he has played wheelchair rugby for England winning a gold medal; studied accountancy and participated in biking, canoeing, skiing, mountaineering with the aid of the Backup Trust with whom he visits spinal units around the country teaching wheelchair skills and helping newly injured people.

Chloe Birch, 16, from Sheffield will carry the Flame in Rotherham. Chloe who was nominated through the LOCOG campaign is a talented and outstanding young sportswoman Chloe has been playing badminton since she was eight and has been representing England since she was eleven. One of her greatest achievements was to be accepted to play in the Senior English Nationals. She always gives 100% to everything she does and is truly inspirational Chloe's aim is to represent England at the 2016/2020 Olympic Games.

Paul Drinkhall will carry the Flame in Cleethorpes.  Paul has been playing Table Tennis from the age of seven. He made his first international appearance at nine and became European Junior (Under 18) Champion in 2008. At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi Paul won a Silver medal in the Men's Team event and a Bronze medal in the Mixed Doubles events.

James Williams, Director, Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola Northwest Europe & Nordics, said: ‘Today, many more Coca-Cola Future Flames will help us celebrate the 39th day of our amazing journey, including Simon Wheatcroft who will carry the Olympic Flame in Armthorpe.  We will also get everyone to Move to the Beat tonight as we bring Tribes to the stage in Cleethorpes.'

Sally Hancock, Director, London 2012 Partnership at Lloyds Banking Group, said: ‘We are delighted to have seen the amazing reception the Olympic Torch Relay has had on its journey so far. Lloyds TSB is proud to be bringing as many opportunities as possible for people between Sheffield and Cleethorpes to get involved as the Olympic Flame passes their door. We're calling on everyone to cheer their local Lloyds TSB Torchbearers – extraordinary people like James Needham, running in his home community of Doncaster. Our troupe of performers, the Flame Followers, are lighting up the celebrations along the route ahead of the Relay before their Flame Followers Spectacular in Cleethorpes 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.'

 

 LONDON  2012