Mountfield woman carries Olympic flame through French village

A TYRONE native who proudly carried the Olympic flame through a village in France on Friday, said she felt ‘extremely lucky’ to have received the opportunity.

Shiona Kerr, who grew up in Mountfield, attending school at Loreto Grammar School in Omagh, was contacted on Monday of last week to enquire if she was available to carry the Olympic torch through a village called Théméricourt near her home on the outskirts of Paris.

Speaking with WeAreTyrone following the relay, the now French resident gave an insight into how the opportunity came to be.

“I was nominated by a colleague to be a torch carrier and felt very flattered by the nomination,” began Shiona.

“I completed the application with the idea that I had nothing to lose, then forgot about it, until Monday of last week when I got a call from the torch relay organisers to ask if I was available to carry the torch in a little village about 20 minutes drive from where I live.

“I was delighted to be able to accept, but the unexpectedness of it all made me almost suspect a prank – I spent the rest of the week pinching myself.”

Shiona is a regular runner and member of a cyclo-tourism club, where she supervises bike rides with kids in her local town during the school year, every Saturday afternoon.

Commenting on the experience itself, Shiona added, “The event was very special. The other torch carriers in the stage were lovely, as were the organisers, and all the people I met.

“It was a great privilege to participate in the relay. The excitement and goodwill of the public was unforgettable and I feel extremely lucky and happy to be one of the ambassadors of the Olympic Torch, a symbol of unity and peace.”