Torchbearers

Both Coca-Cola and RBC have put together programs that are inclusive and accessible for all Canadians. You don’t have to be a former athlete or have done something that is recognized around the world in order to become an Olympic Torchbearer. And, while we want to celebrate achievements, we also recognize that Olympic moments are unique, diverse and personal. Through the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay program, Canadians from many walks of life have had the opportunity and honour of being a torchbearer. 

Important note: RBC’s contest closed July 15, 2009 and Coca-Cola's contest closed August 17, 2009. Thank you to everyone who submitted applications, you will hear from RBC and Coca-Cola if you have been selected to carry the Olympic Flame.

Pride, joy, hope, inclusiveness and equality are just a few of the words torchbearers have used to describe their emotions as they‘ve carried the Olympic Torch on its journey. You too will get a real sense of these emotions if you’ve been chosen to transport the flame during the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. Twelve-thousand torchbearers will live this moment and will have lasting memories of their experiences, as witnessed by these quotes from previous torchbearers.

"No matter how powerful the Olympic Flame is and what it represents, the flame inside each of us is greater than that flame. But what the Olympic Flame does is reflect off of each of us and inspire us to live up to the ideals of the Olympic Movement."- Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Torchbearer

“A moment of time to light the path of tomorrow…The joy of this moment will last a lifetime.” - Athens 2004 Olympic Torchbearer

“An indescribable experience and a most powerful emotion! A positive stream uniting all kinds of people regardless of social, cultural or political differences.” - Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Torchbearer

Bearing the Olympic Flame means not only carrying a powerful symbol; it also broadcasts the Olympic Movement’s message of hope and peace.

First Coca-Cola Olympic Torchbearer Selected

First Coca-Cola Olympic Torchbearer, Patricia Moreno holding the 2006 Torino Torch

An 18-year-old student from Britannia High School in Vancouver has been selected by Coca-Cola as the first torchbearer for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.

Patricia Moreno is an active young woman who plays a number of sports, including soccer and basketball. She is on the swimming team at Britannia and is highly involved in other school’s activities such as the leadership program.

Moreno’s favourite school subject is physical education and this summer she’s planning on using her love of water to do some life guarding. After graduating from high school, Moreno would like to study kinetics and nutrition.

Volunteering plays an important part in Moreno’s life and devotes her spare time to two organizations. She participates in the YELL (Youth, Engage, Learn, Lead) coaching program offered by MoreSports, a Vancouver-based organization providing sustainable and inclusive sport and physical activity programs for children and families. YELL offers coaching and training workshops on different sports, first aid and youth issues.

Moreno also volunteers at the Ray-Cam Cooperative Centre. Offering recreational and social activities as well as services, the centre’s mission is to help young people use their strengths and gifts to make successful life choices and improve their community.

First RBC Olympic Torchbearer Selected

Caleb Taylor holding the 2006 Torino Torch and Christine Tell, Minister of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport of Saskatchewan

Caleb Taylor, a 34-year-old volunteer hockey coach from Regina, Saskatchewan, is the first RBC-selected torchbearer for the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.

Taylor works in the information technology field and certainly knows sports, growing up playing hockey, soccer, rugby and football. Not only is he a recreational athlete, but he’s also an avid sports fan.

Beyond his career, Taylor gives his time and energy to build a stronger community by coaching with the Outdoor Hockey League (OHL). The OHL provides opportunities to play hockey for inner-city youth and children whose families don’t have the financial means to pay for organized hockey.

The OHL starts its season as soon as the outdoor city ice rinks are ready. Teams then begin practicing on a weekly basis and playing inter-squad games. Taylor wrote in his RBC torchbearer application: “What child in Canada is not glued to the TV during the Stanley Cup and the Olympic hockey quest for the gold? Giving youth the ability to play sports of any kind offers them a chance to develop leadership and social skills which they will carry with them for the duration of their lives.”

Taylor is eager to carry the 2010 Olympic Torch and to have a team of inner-city hockey players from his hometown run alongside him.