Mary Johnston

This is my mum, She's the most giving and caring person I've ever known to date. My dad is an alcoholic, and this puts enormous pressure on our family. For the past six years, she's stood by him, tried so hard to get him help, visited him in hospital when he suffered from alcohol induced seizures, tolerates his aggressive and stubborn behaviour at home, and even balances work five days a week. She has looked after my brother and myself as we grew up, cooked dinners, cleaned the house and did extra charity work. In April, she visited Zambia with a group of people and helped build a school, houses, and water pumps in three different villages so that the people that lived there could have a better quality of life. She also gives blood, and has in the past raised money for kidney awareness. She has abseiled down the school in which she works to raise money for charity aswell. Anybody who knows her, loves her because she is so warm and friendly. She more or less pays for everything, christmas presents, food, holidays etc. I sometimes feel that she goes underappreciated and I would love for her to help carry the torch. She loves the olympics and any other atheletics because she used to be a runner herself when she was younger, and still tries to go for long walks as much as she can. This opportunity would be really surreal and would mean the absolute world to her.