Hannah Palmer

Hannah was born with only half a functioning heart and this means she has to work twice as hard as most people! Half a heart does not mean half a life and Hannah lives every minute to the full - taking part in every aspect of her school life, is an ambassador and fund raiser for her charity - Little Hearts Matter - and sings and acts all the time. She volunteers in school helping younger children learn to read. Hannah's heart will never be fixed and she has had major corrective surgery twice as well as countless smaller procedures to alter her plumbing! She takes everything in her stride and bounces back so quickly after any knock-backs. Hannah is always giving, and has talked to the All Party Congenital Heart Disease forum in the Houses of Parliament. Hannah also spoke to to over 400 Heart professionals at a British Heart Foundation conference where there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Hannah could never run in the Olympics - yet Hannah is everything that my Britain and the Olympics stand for - determination, ambition and a spirit of community and I believe that seeing Hannah with the Olympic Torch would be an inspiration to the 600 babies born each year with only half a heart and to other children whose journey is like a marathon every day! Good luck for a fantastic Olympic Games!! x