A crowd of thousands stands in Skiers Plaza awaiting the arrival of the torch. I wiggled my way through the crowd with some of my volunteer work mates (Jan, Janice, and Michelle). We stop because we can move no further. And who am I standing next to: our dear friends and neighbors Michael and Tara.
there is a lot of pre-torch rev up the crowd activity. Videos on the big screen of it being carried all over Canada by beaming men and women. Gordon Campbell goes by passing out BC pins. (Olympic pins abound and trading them is a full time occupation for some).In Whistler style, the final leg is carried by alpine skier Julia on a snowmobile (recent ligament injury), followed by 'crazy Canuck' Steve Podborski (former alpine skiing Olympian) skiing down the final descent of Whistler mountain to the gondola area, where he transfered the torch for it's final leg to Tyler Allison, an 18 year old student at Whistler Secondary who hopes to participate in the 2012 Olympics. An emotional moment for the women standing with me who know this young man. As the torch passes by within 10 feet of me, cameras are flashing, and tears run down faces.
When the cauldron is lit on stage, the national anthem is sung. Canadians all around me sing with fervor, and more tears flow.
It was very moving to experience this Olympic moment.
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