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Carrying the Torch

On Saturday, February 2, a group of very special individuals relayed the 2002 Olympic Torch through the streets of Grand Junction. One of those individuals was Colorado National Monument volunteer Cindy Littleton.

The selection process for torchbearers began in early 2001, when the Salt Lake Olympic Committee (SLOC) and Olympic sponsors Chevrolet and Coca-Cola invited the public to nominate individuals who were an inspiration to others. Chevrolet asked for essays of fifty to one-hundred words on the theme “The Fire Within.” Cindy’s husband, Joel Smith, submitted an essay to Chevrolet nominating Cindy.

In August, Joel told Cindy about the essay he had written, nominating her as a torchbearer. Cindy said she was “touched by the gesture” but figured there would be so many people nominated that she would never hear anything from the selection committee. A few weeks later she was surprised and delighted to receive a letter informing her she had been selected.

The initial selection, according to Cindy, was “based on luck,” with Chevrolet’s selection committee taking all the received nominations and randomly drawing ten times as many nominations as would actually be selected. The essays were read and graded, and the final selection was made. The committee selected people of all ages and professions, but the main criterion was that the individuals selected be an inspiration for the community.

Cindy’s selection was based on her community activity. In addition to volunteering at the monument both in the Visitor Center and for Resource Management, Cindy also volunteers at the Botanical Society. “I was running for all the people who volunteer every day all over the community,” Cindy explained. “You may have a town, but it is not a true community without the volunteers.” Cindy continued, “People volunteer in a myriad of different ways — one-time event volunteers and people who volunteer their time every week. They may not see their volunteer time as anything very special, but it is.”

A total of thirty-six runners took part in the Grand Junction Olympic Torch Relay. The runners met at a press conference, and they also marched together at the Parade of Lights in December. Each runner was assigned a section on the route approximately two-tenths of a mile long. After she was selected as a runner, Cindy spent some time training in the Bookcliffs with her dogs for the big day. “Two-tenths of a mile is not very long, but I wanted to know how long it would take to run.”

On the day of the relay, Cindy was nervous but also very excited. Cindy’s position on the route was on Patterson Road between Cris-Mar Street and 29 Road. She was amazed at the number of people who turned out to watch the torch relay. Cindy will never forget what she was told just before it was her turn to run: “Now remember, when they light your torch, you are the only person in the world carrying the Olympic flame.”

Cindy and Joel celebrated the torch relay with relatives and friends who had traveled from as far away as Pennsylvania to watch Cindy take part in the relay. Cindy says it was “a once in a lifetime thing to do,” and that she will treasure the memories forever.

Congratulations, Cindy! Congratulations also to all the other Olympic Torch Relay runners, including Colorado National Monument Association members Mary Mastin, John McConnell, and Louise Waid.