A 14 year-old dyslexic girl was among those chosen to carry the Olympic torch in this year’s torch relay for the games of the 30th Olympiad. Jessica Hogarth-Hall is a student at All Saints RC School in York, United Kingdom, and was nominated for the honor of bearing the torch due to her resolve in overcoming struggles with dyslexia.
Jessica’s experience of carrying the torch on June 20th was made all the more special by the fact that she was celebrating her 14th birthday that day. Hundreds of people had gathered on the 33rd day of the relay to observe the torch begin its path through the cobblestone streets from the 14th Century York Minster Cathedral to the National Railway System. The jubilant crowds’ early morning rendition of “Happy Birthday” was said to have made Jessica appear a bit embarrassed. Jessica stated, “It feels a bit surreal…I didn’t think there’d be this many people. It’s a bit early”.
The Olympic flame, that symbolizes unity, purity and pursuit of perfection arrived in the UK from Greece in May and was ceremoniously lit by football star David Beckham. The flame is ignited in Olympia by eleven women wearing ancient Greek style robes to represent the Eleven Vestal Virgins. The torch travels around Greece in a brief relay before being transferred to the country hosting that year’s events. The Olympic Torch relay ends when the final carrier is revealed at last moment, and the runner typically ascends the top of a grand staircase. One of the most emotional moments in Olympic history was when another famous dyslexic athlete Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic Cauldron to begin the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
By the time the Olympic flame reached the cauldron at the UK’s opening ceremonies this year, the torch will have traveled over 8,000 miles around the UK, and will have been carried by several hundred specially chosen torchbearers like Jessica.
Diana Garcia is an Easyread Coach for the Easyread System, an online course for children struggling to read. Easyread specializes in cases of dyslexia and auditory deficits, and is 95% successful in solving problems with dyslexia and reading.