Marlene Freeman Nee Swailes

Marlene Freeman is an icon and inspiration in our village. Known by generations of village children as the kindly school crossing patrol for the last 38 years, always having a friendly word for crossers (including random adults) as she successfully controls the traffic on the busy A509. Children also know her through being a lunchtime supervisor at the village school for 20 years, and is seen cleaning the village bus shelter, an appointment she has held unbroken for 33 years. Besides all this, 'Auntie Marlene' has a distinguished athletics record. She started running in 1954 with the Kettering Town Harriers and won the womens AAA Intermediate 880 yds in 1957 and 1958. By 1960 she was 6th in the 1 mile rankings and 11th in the cross country rankings. Between 1897 and 1999, aged 46 to 58, she completed 7 London Marathons with a best time of 4hrs 9 min. I cannot think of a more appropriate person to uphold Olympic values by representing Isham in the torch relay. Being selected would be delightful, not only for Marlene, but for the village itself and all the children who have grown up here over such an extended period.