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Chairman of the XI Special Olympics World Summer Games Ireland 2003, Denis O'Brien, receives the torch from the High Priestess Evangelia Panopoulou during the ceremony of the Lighting of the Flame of Hope, in Athens, Greece. [Photo credit; Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE *EDI*] |
by George Srour
In the land of the sun god Apollo and at the cradle of the Olympic tradition, the Special Olympics "Flame of Hope" was lit on 4 June 2003, marking the beginning of the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics Final Leg, a 15,000km trek through 16 European countries, 130 Irish communities and eventually arriving at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland — the site of the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games.
During an ancient traditional ceremony atop the sacred site of Pnyx Hill, facing the storied Acropolis in Athens, Greece, honored guests including the President of the Hellenic Republic Apostolos Kaklamaris and First Lady Suzanne Mubarak of Egypt looked on as 120 law enforcement agents from around the world accepted the torch and officially assumed their roles as Guardians of the Flame.
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Special Olympics Ireland athlete Anne Hickey, member of the Special Olympics Global Athlete Congress, addresses the guests at the ceremony of the Lighting of the Flame of Hope, in Athens, Greece. Master of Ceremonies Theodore Dimitrief, left, and Special Olympics Hellas athlete Yiannis Stratigopoulos are pictured with Hickey at the podium. [Photo credit; Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE *EDI*] |
"We now have one mind and one objective," said running team leader Robert Belfiore during the Final Leg's culminating preparations. "We will support one another as a team. We are no longer from different countries, we are no longer from different states. We are one team."
More than 20 Vestal Virgins, most Special Olympics athletes from Europe, participated in a carefully replicated lighting ceremony based on the Olympic Flame's kindling that typically takes place in Olympus, Greece, before the start of every new Olympiad. Coordinating the lighting was a rewarding experience, but no small task.
"We have athletes here from eight countries who speak six languages and have had only 10 days to put this together," said Special Olympics Ireland's Eileen Brophy. "It is amazing to see how it has come together."
In his keynote address to the more than 500 people in attendance, Special Olympics President Timothy P. Shriver praised Special Olympics Hellas (Greece) and representatives in attendance from around the globe.
"On behalf of our 1.2 million athletes and the entire world of Special Olympics, I extend my thanks to those who have come from many countries and have worked so hard for this," said Shriver. "Today, hope and history will rhyme in the lyrical hearts of Special Olympics athletes all over."
With the fluted columns of the Acropolis in the distance, the Guardians of the Flame ran the torch through the streets of Athens, drawing applause and cheers from halted traffic and entertaining requests for photos from tourists. Before reaching the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, the "Flame of Hope" traveled nearly 3 kilometers with all team members before an emotional presentation immediately following the changing of the Presidential Guard.
Today's run marked the first time in history that all Final Leg Torch Runners received the "Flame of Hope" collectively in Athens. While the Torch Run has held a lighting ceremony every two years since 1987, never before has a run of this breadth and magnitude been undertaken.
From Athens, the Final Leg team splits into three routes for the next five days. On 5 June, the Flame of Hope will grace the cities of Gibraltar, United Kingdom; Madrid, Spain; Helsinki, Finland and Istanbul, Turkey. All routes will meet together once more in Brussels on 10 June.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics is an international series of torch relays, run by law enforcement officers, leading up to each state/province or nation's Special Olympics Summer Games. Law enforcement officers raise money in conjunction with their respective Torch Runs for their local Special Olympics Program.
George Srour, of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, attends the College of William and Mary where he is Co Editor in Chief of The DoG Street Journal. As a member of the Torch Run documentation team, he is accompanying the run on Route 2. Srour has been involved with the Special Olympics movement for years, interning with Special Olympics Indiana during the summer of 2002 and winning 22 medals as Unified Sports® participant (since 1996). "The athletes of Special Olympics have taught me resilience: capitalizing on their each and every attribute on and off the playing field," Srour notes. "After helping stage a Law Enforcement Torch Run fundraising event last year, I began imagining just how great it would be to not only travel side-by-side with the officers and athletes who carry the 'Flame of Hope,' but to also do my part in publicizing their amazing spirit." |
