elsena's 100 mile SDW walk for GRACE: The Most Amazing Day of My Life!

17th July 2012:- I still cannot utter more than a forced whisper, but feel excited and elated, so that will carry me through this long day!

I live in Copthorne, West Sussex, and the Olympic Torch came through the Village this morning at 9.45 am. As I did not have to be in Crowborough until just before midday, I had time to watch the parade and the Torch being carried along Borers Arm Road. I had to be ready in my white outfit 'uniform' so that we could leave in good time to get to my meeting place in Crowborough. This created a huge stir whilst I was waiting, so my 'Moment to Shine' actually started early in Copthorne, with many people and their children wanting photos with me in the uniform, even without my torch yet! The local nuns also got in on a photo! Amazing start to my day!

CROWBOROUGH: We made good time to the Beacon Community College, so early in fact that there was no one there to meet us. However, whilst we had a flask of our own coffee (no cafe here) standing by the car, we were approached by a BBC journalist, who was looking for worthwhile stories to air on the radio. I managed to make myself understood with my whisper, with the help of my friend Helen. The journalist was very interested to record us, and went off to find her producer, to whom she introduced us. They had to go off and set up their equipment, and we had to find our own meeting place. We agreed to meet them later. They were sure they could find a way of recording my 'whisper'.

First, we waited to be signed in and have our id checked. My friend Helen was to be my escort, which I had requested, what with having only had chemo several days before, and my laryngitis and chest infection, I was not sure I could manage without assistance, in case I felt dizzy. It was a hot day too and my breathing was not easy, even after using my ventolin inhaler, plus my dreadful cough. Close friends and family thought I should not be doing this, but how could I NOT do it! A once in a lifetime experience! An honour! One of only 8000 in the country! Part of an historic event that will never happen again in most of our lifetimes! I would dose up anything I have to get through this day! Plus an important cough lozenge as I set off - after all it was only 300 metres! I had walked 100 miles two months ago - I could walk this short distance surely!

It neared the time for the torch to arrive at the College to be shown off, with speeches, to all the children waiting in the huge playground area. We were ushered to the 'show' area along a double row of smartly uniformed sixth-formers and given a good place to watch the children do their show before the torch arrived.
This was the last torch of the morning session. There were several of us doing the afternoon session, and after this show parade in the College, we all had to go for our briefing, whilst the police escorts and drivers had their lunch. (There was nothing for the Torch Bearers, except water).

After our briefing, we were shown to the team shuttle bus. It was so hot, and the bus was stifling. The others all stood outside, but by now I was flagging. (We had been here two hours already, mostly standing). I had to climb in the bus to sit down. Helen was allowed to accompany me thank goodness, as she understood my condition, without me having to force a painful whisper to others. The nylon uniform was too warm, with its long sleeves, and I had put on a t-shirt underneath first thing in the morning, as if it had been cool, we could not wear anything on the top of it. I discreetly removed the t-shirt, as no one else was in the bus!

1pm - Almost time to move off - the police escort and our Lloydstsb team leader arrived, she briefed us in the order we had to move up the bus ready to get off at our designated spot (my number was 69, following young 12 yr old Sam who was 68, who followed our first torch bearer of the afternoon, who very bravely decided to give up her wheelchair and walk her 300 metres). We were handed our torches as we were waiting to alight, and had already been given a gold wristband if we had bought ours, to retrieve later once decomissioned of the gas canister.

Our shuttlebus is moving, following the escorting police motorcyclists, the parade of open topped coaches with bands and waving and dancing corporate sponsors, plus the Media Bus with the photographers sitting on the back of it to be in front of the Olympic Torch Flame and Bearer, videoing us as we went along!

Nearing my drop-off point, we were all waving at the lined streets, and I spotted two familiar faces waving like crazy, as I stood in the front with my torch ready to alight! One was a fellow chemo patient and her friend who always accompanied her to the hospital - how wonderful that they came! All too soon, it was my stop - it was difficult to get off because it was so crowded, and people surged around. Luckily I was met by one of the police escorts who showed me where to stand and wait for my flame, from young Sam, to arrive.

In the meantime, I had ten to fifteen minutes to meet, greet and be photographed with family and friends, but where were they? There were so many people, it was just overwhelming! Suddenly, I saw my sister Val with her I-pad at the ready as a camera and video in one! Big hugs, lots of photos, my niece Karen and her daughter Amelia, my great niece, her granddad and grandma, (my brother Alan and his wife Sue).

Once photos had started, I was surrounded by total strangers, one after the other, thrusting children and babies forward for photos with me and my (as yet unlit) torch! I was just smiling and posing this way and that, bending down for little ones to get in on it, standing for grownups pointing cameras at me, with a brief request 'this one is going to America' ' this one is for Australia' 'New Zealand' 'South Africa' 'India' - I think the whole world was represented in my little corner! I could not stop smiling - what an unexpected joy! (and I was worried the street would be almost empty because no one knew me in Crowborough!)

My son, Philip, appeared, camera already working. He had such a huge proud smile and we hugged. I was surrounded again! Other friends tried to get close to me, and I made room for them, and their children to have some photos taken. Suddenly, I had no time to tell anyone where to meet me - I think I managed to whisper to Helen, tell them to meet us at the Beacon Community College afterwards, because all too soon my police escort steered me to my spot on the road, where Sam was running up the hill to greet me and 'kiss' my torch with his flame! We had to turn and smile at the cameras for a last picture before I set off, and Sam's flame was extinguished after mine was lit. What a feeling!

Lighting of my torch from Sam's flame!

I started walking a bit shakily down the High Street, which was thronged with cheering and a sea of waving flags and banners!

The beginning of my 300 metres - huge cheering crowds!

I turned to make sure Helen was near me, but they had ushered her to the edge of the street with the other police escorts, and I had a very tall policeman alongside me (the one who turns the key in each torch to open the gas or switch it off, and points at the cameras for us to pose), He could not hear anything I whispered to him up there on high!

Nevertheless, I was soon enjoying my 'Moment', waving to the cheering crowds, with the Torch held high in the other hand. It was quite heavy (and top-heavy from the gas canister in the top), so it had to be held a third of the way up. I had to keep swapping the Torch to both hands, then one then the other. I got the hand of it, waving my right arm to the crowd on the right whilst holding the flame in my left, then switching to wave to the other side! It was sheer joy!

Trying to jog a bit whilst holding torch and waving!
Great fun!

I was aware that my police escort was telling me I should run now. RUN! HE HAS TO BE JOKING! I whispered, I can't run. So he said well trot, or walk a bit faster! Was he trying to ruin my day? I wanted to tell him to trot off, but I saved my breath! I complied with a little trot, but my legs were not there, so I walked again, and tried to speed it up. Still smiling and waving, spotting friends in the crowd, Valerie ran out of the crow to hug me, Jo stayed back waving, and seeing my son trying to run backwards while photographing me! Wow! Such enjoyment everywhere!

The whole thing was surreal! The waving and cheering followed us all the way, and as we got to the traffic lights at the A26, it turned left and went uphill a little. Oh, it's nearly over already! Still trying to trot a bit or walk faster, I started to seriously get out of breath, so I slowed right down and gesticulated for Helen to come over - I wanted her to tell this policeman to stop telling me to speed up. He asked 'what do you want her for', and I could not respond, so I carried on walking slowly, smiling and waving at the huge cheering crowds, acknowledging another few good friends along the way, until I reached my 'kiss' point for the next runner.

Out of breath and calling for Helen, but not far now

It had been incredible, but I could not wait to sit down in the bus - my legs were giving out as well as my breath, and I was quite lightheaded! My police escort actually then asked me if I was alright, as I was panting. Of course I was! I had just taken part in the most beautiful and memorable event that I would ever achieve in my life! Then our torches were held together and we turned for my last picture from the Media and crowds as our torches 'kissed'! My flame was extinguished! My 'Moment to Shine' over! I happily, but sadly too, got on the shuttlebus, which then followed the relay and picked up the other runners as they finished, along the circuitous route back to the College.

With our decomissioned Torches back at the College!

My family and friends met me afterwards at the Community College - wondering where we were, because it took so long for us to return there. After watching some of the BBC Video in their viewing room, and being given our torches, with more photographs with everyone, we looked for our BBC Sussex Radio journalists, but they had left by then, so we followed each other to a pub for something to eat - Helen and me had not eaten a meal since breakfast, and it was now about 3pm! No wonder we were flagging! The pub was so crowded with all the spectators as well as some of the runners, that we had to wait about two hours to get served! We could have driven home in that time, but at least I got to celebrate with my family and friends! We had some cool drinks and snacks whilst waiting for the food. Scampi and chips never tasted so good!

20th July 2012:- I have been in bed most of the time for more than two days! Antibiotics are working now, and my voice has become a squeak rather than a whisper, but it is still not easy to talk.

My sister emailed me her photos and videos - good quality from her i-pad! I have sent some to friends, and to GRACE secretaries, but although they received the photos, they could not open the video stills - too large for the hospital computers and probably blocked. Shame, because it gave the atmosphere exactly, and Val had got shots of people jumping in the way to have their photos taken with me! I have also sent the BBC video to anyone who wants it - here it is if you do not have it:-

www.bbc.co.uk/torchrelay/day60 Click on the Afternoon Crowborough to Hastings, click the play arrow on the picture, open to full screen, then take the time bar along the bottom to my start time of 1.37/38, when Sam runs up to light my torch with the 'kiss', then I am carrying it at 1.39. Very precise! It is a bit blurred in places, and in others there are so many people surrounding me it is difficult to see anything at all! But turn up the volume to hear the cheers!

Photo opportunity before the 'kiss' of flames: