“HELP my son carry the Olympic torch.”
That’s the message from Mirfield woman Sharron Crowther, mother of Harry.
She wants her son – who suffers from an extremely rare bone condition – to have the honour of carrying the Olympic flame through the town.
Organisers yesterday announced the route the torch will take around the UK in the run-up to the London games next summer.
And Olympic chiefs are looking for 8,000 inspirational people to help carry the flame around the country. It wants half to be people aged between 12 and 24 and the rest to include people with a story of achievement or contribution to the local community.
Sharron yesterday urged Huddersfield people to nominate Harry for the role.
The 12-year-old suffers from a genetic form of Atypical Progeria Syndrome which makes his body age five times faster than normal.
Harry has arthritis in his fingers, toes, knees, elbows and wrists and has to take strong painkillers four times a day.
Sharron said: “Harry would be really interested in carrying the Olympic torch – he would find it an amazing experience.”
The final route of the torch has yet to be announced, but the flame is likely to pass near Mirfield next June 24 when it is carried from Manchester to Leeds.
Sharron said: “It would be great if Harry could carry the torch through Mirfield.”
The Castle Hall School pupil is keen on sport, despite his condition.
Sharron said: “He loves sport, but obviously, because of his condition, he struggles with contact sport.
“He likes watching the running and the swimming on TV and he also likes to play Olympics on the Wii.”
Organisers of the London 2012 Olympics yesterday unveiled the 70-day route of the flame around the country. The torch will pass within an hour’s travel time of 95% of the UK population.
The flame will be carried for 12 hours every day before featuring in a celebration event each evening.
There will not be an international torch relay. In 2008 human rights protestors disrupted the flame’s progress around the world on its way to Beijing.
ORGANISERS are searching for 8,000 inspirational people to help carry the Olympic flame around Britain next year.
To nominate someone visit www.london2012.com and complete the form, which includes a 150-word statement about why your nominee should carry the torch.
The closing date for nominations is June 29.
Twelve regional judging panels will then decide which nominees should carry the flame through their areas.
Winners will be notified in December.
Torch route
May 19: Lands End and Plymouth
May 20: Exeter
May 21: Taunton
May 22: Bristol
May 23: Cheltenham
May 24: Worcester
May 25: Cardiff
May 26: Swansea
May 27: Aberystwyth
May 28: Bangor
May 29: Chester
May 30: Stoke-on-Trent
May 31: Bolton
June
June 1: Liverpool
June 2: Isle of Man
June 3: Portrush
June 4: Derry
June 5: Newry
June 6: Belfast
June 8: Glasgow
June 9: Inverness
June 10: Orkney and Shetland
June 11: Isle of Lewis and Aberdeen
June 12: Dundee
June 13: Edinburgh
June 14: Alnwick
June 15: Newcastle
June 16: Durham
June 17: Middlesbrough
June 18: Hull
June 19: York
June 20: Carlisle
June 21: Bowness-on-Windermere
June 22: Blackpool
June 23: Manchester
June 24: Leeds
June 25: Sheffield
June 26: Cleethorpes
June 27: Lincoln
June 28: Nottingham
June 29: Derby
June 30: Birmingham
July
July 1: Coventry
July 2: Leicester
July 3: Peterborough
July 4: Norwich
July 5: Ipswich
July 6: Chelmsford
July 7: Cambridge
July 8: Luton
July 9: Oxford
July 10: Reading
July 11: Salisbury
July 12: Weymouth and Portland
July 13: Bournemouth
July 14: Southampton
July 15: Guernsey, Jersey and Portsmouth
July 16: Brighton
July 17: Hastings
July 18: Dover
July 19: Maidstone
July 20: Guildford
July 21: Waltham Forest, London
July 22: Bexley, London
July 23: Wandsworth, London
July 24: Ealing, London
July 25: Haringey, London
July 26: Westminster, London
July 27: Opening ceremony, Olympic Stadium
