By Lindsay Clark
When Vickie Harper of Honeyville, Box Elder County, first found out she was selected to be an official Torchbearer for the 2002 Winter Olympics, she had no idea she was even up for a nomination.
Harper is a volunteer EMT for the Honeyville Fire Department and guesses she was chosen based upon her public service.
'I''m really excited and it''s something I know I''ll always remember,' Harper said.
Joel Allred, from Logan, Cache County, shares Harper''s excitement because he was nominated by a group of students at Cache High School, where he is the principal.
Although Allred said he is just a little old country boy from Logan, he is one of the thousands of everyday people who have been selected to carry the torch.
'Being a part of the whole Olympic process is certainly an honor. I''m not by any means a professional athlete,' Allred said. 'But I''m doing this for the kids - for the students who nominated me. They were the ones who did it.'
Torchbearers were nominated by family members, friends and colleagues who wrote a 50 to 100-word essay explaining how the nominees embodied the Olympic Spirit, said Lindsay Rowles, spokeswoman for the 2002 Olympic torch relay.
'We received 210,000 nominations, which were judged upon the criteria of inspiring others to greater achievement, inspiring their communities, embodying the inspiring spirit of the Olympic Movement and motivating others by encountering and overcoming adversity.'
Regional community task forces who read and judged the essays selected more than 11,500 Torchbearers to pass on the flame.
The Olympic Torch Relay began on Dec. 4, 2001, and will travel more than 13,500 miles across the United States in 65 days, through 250 U.S. cities and 46 states. This is the greatest number of states ever covered by an Olympic Torch Relay in the U.S.
Then on Feb. 8, 2002, a yet unnamed torchbearer will carry the torch into the Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium and light the cauldron to officially start the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
The tradition of the torch relay dates back to 1936, when it was adopted for the opening ceremonies of the Berlin Olympic Games.
Since then, the tradition has remained strong and the flame for the Winter Games was lit in Olympia, Greece, on November 19, 2001.
It traveled to Athens before arriving in Atlanta, Georgia - the previous U.S. city to host the Olympic Games. Now it''s headed to Salt Lake City.
'The spirit of the torch relay has clearly taken hold of the United States. The crowds have been absolutely amazing,' said Kelly Flint, Senior Vice President of Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
'In Oklahoma, people would ride out in open fields in a pick-up truck to watch the flame go by in a train,' Flint said.
The Olympic Flame''s power to inspire and unite the nation has taken on new meaning in the wake of the tragedies of Sept. 11.
'We have laid aside about 125 spots for those who have been affected by Sept. 11,' Rowles said. 'A lot of the participants who have been affected said it has been great closure for them to be able to honor their loved ones in this way.'
From teachers to celebrities, athletes to cancer patients, the torch continues to move forth.
Carriers of all ages have been chosen, the youngest being 12 years old and the oldest 103 years old.
The torch is carried an average of 208 miles each day by an about 180 Torchbearers, each Torchbearer covering .2 miles.
Rowles said the torch has been carried by all modes of transportation. By plane, train, sailboat, tugboat, skier, ice skater, horse and even bike.
In less than two weeks the Olympic torch will make its debut in Utah.
The torch is scheduled to enter Provo on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2002 at 7:02 p.m. near 900 West.
The trek will then continue through Provo and end up on the BYU campus at approximately 9:23 p.m.
The runner will enter from Bulldog Blvd., turning right into the first entrance of the BYU stadium.
A celebration is scheduled to take place in the LaVell Edwards Stadium parking lot at 9:24 p.m., with details and activities to be announced.
'There have been no problems so far and overall it has been an amazing experience,' Rowles said. 'There are so many amazing people out there and it''s been humbling to hear all their experiences and stories.'