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The Opening Ceremonies for the Winter Olympic Games are due to begin exactly one week from today! However, the games cannot start before the lighting of the Olympic Flame in Salt Lake City. The actual flame that will kindle the Salt Lake City Olympic cauldron will have travelled all the way from the ancient birthplace of the Olympics, Olympia, Greece!

It is the sun’s rays, reflected by a parabolic mirror, which ignite the original flame at Olympia in Greece. In keeping with tradition, a woman dressed as a high priestess in an antique Greek toga, is the first to receive the Olympic Fire. In a triumphant gesture, she lifts the first flames to the skies.

The flame is then placed in a cauldron and carried to the center of the ancient Olympic stadium. The first torch is lit at this exact spot. The priestess passes the burning torch to the first runner who is escorted by 6 other athletes as far as the exit from the sacred circle of Olympia.

Of course the runner cannot run as far as Salt Lake City. The runner travels a predetermined distance and then hands the torch to another runner who will run a similar distance and so on until the flame reaches the new Olympic site. This international relay can take months and thousands of individuals share the honor of being a torchbearer.

You may be thinking, “but what about crossing the ocean?” When the flame cannot be carried by a torchbearer, it is placed in a lantern that travels with the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Torch Relay. It will at different times be carried in a plane, boat, car, dogsled, horse-drawn sleigh, snowmobile and a covered wagon! Some of the torchbearers will actually ski or ice-skate their section of the route!

The Torch Relay symbolizes the passing of Olympic traditions from one generation to the next. Wouldn’t it be great to be part of the relay, knowing you are connected to all the people who came before and after you, both in the relay and in history?

Originally the flame symbolized the “endeavor for protection and struggle for victory.” It has since come to represent “the light of spirit, knowledge, and life.”

It is a tremendous privilege to be chosen either to be the last relay runner to bear the torch into the stadium, or to be the one who actually touches the Greek flame to the Salt Lake City cauldron and ignites the Olympic Flame for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. It will be fun to see who will be honored in this way.