• On Day 26 the Relay will travel 145.35 miles
• 115 inspirational Torchbearers will carry the Flame
• Evening celebration to take place at Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh
• Images from today can be downloaded here
115 inspirational Torchbearers will carry the Flame through the following communities: St Andrews, Milnathort, Kinross, Crook of Devon, Alloa, Bridge of Allan, Dunblane, Stirling, Cumbernauld, Larbert, Camelon, Falkirk, Skinflats, Cairneyhill, Crossford, Dumfermline, Broxburn, Edinburgh.
Highlights for today are:
07.15 – St Andrews West Sands. Joseph Forrester, 13, will carry the Flame along the beach made famous by the film Chariots of Fire. Joseph is a member of Fife Athletics Club. He has run competitively for a few years now and was running 10km races in under an hour when he was 9 and 10 years old in Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA) where his family were stationed with the RAF. He loves running and his dream is to one day run for Team GB in a long distance events. He recently had great fun running in the Chariots of Fire race along West Sands Beach.
At 10.46 there will be a photo opportunity with Paul Mcintyre at the Stirling Castle and Wallace Monument. Paul, 22, has Becker Muscular Dystrophy. Despite this disabling condition he plays a round of golf almost every day without help and in 2010 he even completed the London Marathon over two days to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy and to raise awareness of his condition. Paul wasn't always so determined or productive. When he was younger he was a disruptive trouble maker. In his own words Paul would admit that 'he wasn't a nice person.' That was until at the age of 16 he discovered golf. Sport has enabled Paul to channel his energy positively and without knowing it has taught him the value of self discipline.
Two special photo opportunities will be held during the day. At 12.48 a Torchbearer will carry the Flame at the Falkirk Wheel and at 13.08 broadcaster, adventurer and author Mark Beaumont will carry the Flame across the Forth Road Bridge. Mark will also be the first Torchbearer of the day at 07.00 at St Andrews University.
The evening celebration will take place at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh.
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, Bank of Scotland and Samsung.
Emeli Sandé, presented by Coca-Cola, will headline the celebrations followed by stunning acrobatic performances brought by Bank of Scotland and dance performances staged by Samsung. The City of Edinburgh Council will also present two ten-minute slots of locally-programmed entertainment during the evening celebration. The Big Project’s Youth Choir will be joined onstage by some of Scotland's finest musical talent, including Kim Edgar and Karine Polwart, to reprise a selection of songs from their recent Celtic Connections and Usher Hall performances. The second, ten minute slot will bring the evening event to a close.
Towards the end of the two-hour show, the last Torchbearer of the day - Lesley Forrest - will light a celebration cauldron on stage at 19.20 which will enable the Olympic Flame to be seen by the audience.
Torchbearer highlights:
Maki Tsukada, 30, carrying the Flame in Stirling. Maki is a women’s judo gold medallist from the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.
John Kerr, 32, who is carrying the Flame in Edinburgh. John is seven times British Ice Dance Champion, with his dance partner and sister Sinead. He won a bronze medal at the European Championships in 2009 and 2011, coming 5th in the World Championships in 2010. They are the only British Ice Dancers ever to medal at Grand Prix events and gain a place in the Grand Prix Final. He is a two times Olympian competing in the 2006 and 2010 Olympic Winter Games. John was elected to the BOA Athletes’ Commission by his fellow athletes and brings a winter sport perspective to the group.
Hannah Clarke, 18, from Kinross who will carry the Flame in Milnathort. Selected through the Coca-Cola Future Flames programme, Hannah was diagnosed with an inoperable tumour and has since raised nearly £10,000 for cancer charities. She promotes real wigs for teenagers going through chemotherapy and uses her energy, enthusiasm and zest for life to inspire others and remain positive.
Lesley Forrest, 54 from Edinburgh who is carrying the Flame in Edinburgh, was nominated through the Bank of Scotland public nomination campaign. She received a kidney transplant in 1996 and a year later started competing in the British Transplant Games as part of the Scottish team. As well as being a multiple medallist in both British and World Transplant Games, Lesley has dedicated a lot of time and effort into raising funds and awareness and was honoured with the Edinburgh University's Principles Medal as well as an MBE this past June.
Lee Hesp, 46, from Perth and Kinross is carrying the Flame in Crook of Devon. Nominated through the Samsung campaign, in 2006, Lee’s daughter was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, an invasive form of cancer. Lee showed incredible strength as the rock of his family, supporting his wife, son Dan, and especially Lottie herself, keeping her laughing even when she suffered through pneumonia, shingles, kidney failure and the reactions to her drugs. Lottie is now in remission and Lee is her hero.
Joseph Forrester, 13, from St Andrew’s who is carrying the Flame in St Andrews. Joe, nominated through the Locog campaign, is a member of Fife Athletics Club. He has run competitively for a number of years and was running 10km races in under an hour when he was 9 and 10 years old. He loves running and his dream is to one day run for Team GB in long distance events.
Jodi Mcginty, 19 was nominated by the City of Edinburgh Council through the Locog campaign. As part of the Young Ambassadors programme in Edinburgh since March 2009, Jodi, who is from Edinburgh and is carrying the Flame in Edinburgh, has made an excellent contribution to developing sport within her local community, encouraging young people to lead an active lifestyle and inspiring her peers to do the same. Jodi has played an integral role in supporting, encouraging and enabling her school peers to lead an active lifestyle. CR She has established a student sports forum at her school, led workshops at national sporting conferences, given press interviews and produced an inspirational DVD of her experiences as a Young Ambassador for Sport.
James Williams, Director, Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola Northwest Europe & Nordics, said: “Today, two more Coca-Cola Future Flames will help us celebrate the twenty-sixth day of our amazing journey, when Hannah Clarke and Jillian Hamilton carry the Olympic Flame in Milnathort and Bridge of Allan. We will also get everyone to Move to the Beat tonight as we bring Emeli Sandé to the stage in Edinburgh.”
Sally Hancock, Director, London 2012 Partnership at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing the Olympic Flame to Scotland’s capital. The Olympic Torch Relay has had a phenomenal welcome throughout Scotland, and Bank of Scotland is proud to bring the excitement of London 2012 to Edinburgh. We are calling on everyone to cheer on their local Bank of Scotland Torchbearers – extraordinary people like Derek Nelson and Lesley Forrest, running in Edinburgh – who have made a difference in their communities through their contributions to sport. Our troupe of performers, the Flame Followers, are lighting up the celebrations along the route ahead of the Relay before their Flame Followers Spectacular performance in Edinburgh 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."
-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 TSB’s [Bank of Scotland’s] troupe of performers the Flame Followers will be travelling ahead of the Flame to excite crowds with a unique fusion of street performance, theatre and sport celebrating the endeavour, athleticism, agility and skill of Olympic sporting heroes, Team GB.
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 Bank of Scotland 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 in each locality will each win a £5,000 grant from Lloyds Banking Group. At the Bank of Scotland site members of the public will also have the opportunity to have their photo taken with the Olympic Torch, meet Bank of Scotland 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 Bank of Scotland in your community please visit www.bankofscotland.co.uk/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
