• On 20 July the Relay will travel 105.24 miles
• 140 Torchbearers will carry the Flame
• Evening celebration to take place at Stoke Park, Guildford
• Download images from Day 63 of the Olympic Torch Relay
The Relay will travel through the following communities: Maidstone, Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester, Higham, Gravesend, Brands Hatch, Borough Green, Seal, Sevenoaks, Riverhead, Godstone, Bletchingley, Redhill, Reigate, Dorking, Westcott, Shere, Chilworth, Godalming and Guildford.
Highlights for today include:
07.10 – David Boyle, 47, from Tonbridge, will carry the Flame in a rowing boat at Maidstone Rowing Club. David has been a member of the Salvation Army all of his life and currently holds the busy and varied role of his Corp second in command. He participates in initiatives addressing community social needs such as personal counselling, assisting the lonely and aged, and helping the jobless seek employment. David, who was nominated through the Lloyds TSB campaign, has also been a hospital radio presenter for several years and he now trains new members in presentation and technical skills. His mobile disco entertains at schools and charities across the country.
11.16 – A Torchbearer will carry the Flame around the track at Brands Hatch.
The evening celebration will take place at Stoke Park, Guildford.
The evening celebration 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.
Coca-Cola will bring to the stage music from Rizzle Kicks. There will also be a performance of a unique fusion of street performance, theatre and sport and a routine from dance duo Twist and Pulse.
Towards the end of the two-hour show, the last Torchbearer of the day - Austin Playfoot - will light a celebration cauldron on stage at the event which will enable the Olympic Flame to be seen by the audience. Austin, 82, was a Torchbearer in 1948 and he helped launch the Torch design under the Olympic rings in St Pancras International station in June 2011. Each athletics club in the areas the Flame passed through on its journey to Wembley nominated one runner. Godalming & District Athletic Club nominated Austin and he carried the Flame on 29 July 1948 from the Horse & Groom pub in Merrow to the Municipal Offices in Guildford, a distance of 1.8 miles. Austin continued to compete for the club, which in 1952 become Guildford & Godalming Athletic Club. When Austin retired from competition he qualified as an athletics track judge and for the last 40 years has travelled throughout the south of England officiating at track events, cross country and road races. He still has close connections with the Guildford & Godalming AC and was their club President for 22 years. In 1960, in memory of carrying the Flame, Austin and his wife named their first and only home, Torch Cottage.
Torchbearer highlights:
Roger Black, 46, will carry the Flame in Godalming. Roger was a hugely popular British athlete during the fourteen years he represented Great Britain. He remains highly admired by many for overcoming several serious injuries and setbacks during his career, which lead to years at a time out of competition. Despite this, Roger was able to battle back and triumph not once but twice in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games where he won silver in both the 400m and the 4x400m relay. It was in the latter that Black was able to use his vast experience to inspire his much younger teammates to victory. He retired from athletics in 1998, but today Roger uses his past triumphs over injuries and illnesses to motivate, entertain and inspire audiences across the UK.
Daniel Eley, 34, will carry the Flame in Godalming. Daniel had been working with street children in South America for 3 years when he broke his neck diving into a river. Dan’s insurance did not cover his repatriation and he was kept in a Columbian hospital until an internet campaign raised sufficient funds to bring him home. Dan had to undergo intensive rehabilitation and still needs regular medical attention. Despite his injuries Dan remains determined to set up a charity to help disadvantaged youths in Cali, Columbia, by providing them with educational and employment opportunities. He is planning a trip to Columbia later this year and is also an ambassador for Spinal Research.
Selected through the Coca-Cola Future Flames programme, despite being blind Ben Breen, 18, from Kent, enjoys playing the guitar and piano in a band and has performed at large local music festivals and school concerts. He is even about to start teaching some of his friends how to play the guitar. A keen sportsman who enjoys cricket, Ben, who will carry the Flame in Borough Green, also loves to travel having recently returned from trips to Barbados and Jamaica.
Tim Lawler, 45, CEO of SportsAid, selected by Lloyds TSB thanks to his continued support of young athletes in the UK through Lloyds TSB Local Heroes, delivered in partnership with SportsAid. Tim is from Tadworth and is carrying the Flame in Dorking.
Christopher Bury, 17, from Maidstone and carrying the Flame in Maidstone. A passionate, committed Scout and Cub leader, Chris, who was nominated by Maidstone Borough Council through the Locog campaign, is active in the local community and developing into a genuine leader. Chris was an outstanding candidate for the Maidstone contingent of the World Scout Jamboree. Despite the competitive process Chris coached his younger rivals, taking under his wing a physically impaired candidate and subsequently fund-raising jointly for their overseas trip. Chris has strived to gain all of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and stands out for helping others and giving his time to benefit the wider community. Chris chairs his school council's community section, volunteers with the Lions and organises working parties. He has also helped secure a grant for a new climbing centre. A credit to the scouting movement, Chris is a young man setting an excellent example to his peers and is a worthy ambassador for Maidstone.
Michael Clark, 81, from Shalford. Mike, who is carrying the Flame in Westcott, has been one of the most active supporters of sport in Guildford for the last 40 years. During this time he has been involved with the establishment and development of Sport Guildford, the organisation which co-ordinates and supports sport and the individual sporting clubs within the Borough. The organisation has the emphasis on sports for all, children and adults and all varieties of sport. Mike also helps the local Rotary Club Youth activity, which enables youngsters to have a go at sports. He has been part of the development of sport at Surrey University, assisting with the design of their first sports centre. Mike, who was nominated by Guildford Borough Council through the Locog campaign, is also an active water polo player, organising local games and competitions as well as playing regularly. Mike also sits on the Surrey County Playing Fields committee, which look after the interests of the sporting open spaces across Surrey.
James Williams, Director, Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola Northwest Europe & Nordics, said: “Today, with just one week to go, more Coca-Cola Future Flames will help us celebrate the sixty-third day of our amazing journey, including Rebecca Burns and Hannah Morris who carry the Olympic Flame in Bletchingley and Dorking. We will also get everyone to Move to the Beat tonight as we bring Rizzle Kicks to the stage in Guildford.”
Sally Hancock, Director, London 2012 Partnership at Lloyds TSB said: “The Olympic Torch Relay has had an incredible reception throughout its journey and we are proud to bring the excitement of London 2012 to communities along the way. With only one week to go, Lloyds TSB is creating as many opportunities as possible for people to get involved as the Flame passes their door today along the route between Maidstone and Guildford. We’re calling on everyone to cheer on their local Lloyds TSB Torchbearers – extraordinary people like Billy Callway and Tim Lawler, carrying the Flame in Sevenoaks and Dorking today. The Lloyds TSB Flame Followers will fuel the excitement with their unique style of performance ahead of their Flame Followers Spectacular in Guildford tonight.”
Sunny Hwang, Vice President & Head of Global Sports Marketing, Samsung Electronics, said: "Samsung is delighted to be a Presenting Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay and we feel the Torchbearers selected really do demonstrate the ‘gone the extra mile’ community element that lies at the heart of our London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay campaign."
-Ends-
For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 100 or visit the website at www.london2012.com. Find out the latest from London 2012 HQ on our blog http://blog.london2012.com or follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/london2012
Notes to editors:
Each day two short packages of broadcast footage will be made available. The packages will be available via the Footage library – accessible from the Media Centre on london2012.com and direct from this link http://footagelibrary.london2012.com. Media will need to register for access in advance. Registration is free.
The broadcast of the Olympic Torch Relay is provided for Editorial Use Only. There can be no commercial association, no third party association and no commercial/ad superimposition on the video footage, unless the prior written consent of the IOC is acquired.
About the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners:
As the longest standing Presenting Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola will be using its heritage and experience to spread excitement across the UK ahead of London 2012. Coca-Cola's national nomination campaign - Future Flames – has focused on finding inspirational young people from across the country to have the once in a lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame. This summer Coca-Cola will celebrate these Future Flames: young people who use their passions in areas like sport and physical activity, music and dance, and community and the environment; to spread happiness in their local communities. Find out more at: www.coca-cola.co.uk/olympic-games
As the only National Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Lloyds TSB will be taking the inspiration and excitement of the Olympic Flame right to the heart of communities across the UK. As part of Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of Scotland will be the National Presenting Partner in Scotland. We are creating as many opportunities as possible for communities the length and breadth of the UK to get involved as the Flame travels past their front doors.
Lloyds Banking Group is Britain’s biggest corporate investor in UK communities and in 2011 invested £85 million and as part of the Group’s Community Investment Programme, we’ve launched the Lloyds Banking Group Community Fund to give back to the communities in which we operate and pass through on our journey with the Olympic Flame. We’re inviting everyone to visit the Lloyds TSB stand at each Evening Celebration to vote for a community project in their area that inspires and supports young people. By voting at the Evening Celebration members of the public will automatically enter a draw to win four tickets to London 2012. The two projects that receive the most votes at each locality will each win a £5,000 grant from Lloyds Banking Group. At the Lloyds TSB site members of the public will also have the opportunity to have their photo taken with the Olympic Torch, meet Lloyds TSB Local Heroes – the future stars of Team GB and ParalympicsGB – and get up close to our Flame Followers. To find out how you can join in the celebrations with Lloyds TSB (in your community please visit www.lloydstsb.com/london2012
As a Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Samsung aims to encourage everyone to be part of the greatest show on Earth to make London 2012 ‘Everyone’s Olympic Games.’ We aspire to offer new and memorable experiences for everyone around the world through our own innovative and smart wireless technology. Samsung is providing 1,360 Torchbearers, who have “gone the extra mile” by contributing to the local communities, through its worldwide public nomination campaign. In total over 25,000 nominations were received. Samsung will support towns and cities to celebrate the exciting moment of the Torch Relay and help showcase Great Britain’s cultural landmarks to provide a more enjoyable experience to everyone. The evening celebrations that will be staged by Samsung in 66 towns and cities throughout the Olympic Flame’s journey across the UK, will allow Samsung to entertain the community they are visiting. The Samsung caravan, complete with LED screen on the side showcasing runners and goodwill messages, will follow the Torchbearers around the UK cheering up everyone to celebrate the Torch Relay with music and interaction with local communities. It is Samsung’s ambition that London 2012 will be an event that reaches and involves more people than on any other Olympic Games occasion. To learn more about Samsung’s London 2012 Olympic programme, please visit www.samsung.com/london2012
The Supporters of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay are:
Worldwide Olympic Partners Procter and Gamble and Visa, Tier One Partners adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT and EDF, Tier Three Providers Aggreko, Holiday Inn and NATURE VALLEY.
The BBC will be providing extensive coverage of the Torch Relay on television, radio and online. This will include special Breakfast shows on every BBC local radio station, and extended live coverage of an evening celebration event in every Nation and English Region. Full details of the coverage will be at bbc.co.uk/2012.
London 2012 Games partners:
The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow Chemical Company, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.
LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS.
There are now twenty-eight domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.
