1/5/2006 - AFS Students Carry the Torch for the 2006 Winter Olympics

Five AFS students in Italy have been selected to take part in the Olympic Torch relay that is currently approaching Turin, the site of the 2006 Winter Olympics.

More than 10,000 torchbearers will participate carrying the torch across Italy and through 140 cities. The AFS participants, chosen to represent the five continents, will convey the Torch to Sassari, Taranto, Reggio Emilia, Belluno and Como from mid- December to mid-January. The Torch bearing event will end at the Olympic Games Grand Opening Ceremony on February 10.

The Torch Relay, a tradition that marks the beginning of both the summer and winter Olympics is as ancient as the origins of the games themselves and reenacts the tradition of the couriers who carried the flame through all the provinces of ancient Greece. AFS’s mission of peace and intercultural understanding is closely allied to the spirit of understanding and inclusion that characterize the Olympic Games. We are delighted to be represented in the Olympic Torch relay and thank AFS Intercultura in Italy and the organizers of the Winter Olympics for enabling the students to participate.

The AFS experience is unique, offering its participants opportunities that forever change their lives and expand their cultural horizons. Our five AFS students are thrilled, not only for participating in the relay, but also for the opportunity AFS has given them to immerse themselves in a new culture, make new friends, and learn to view the world from a perspective that is framed by intercultural understanding, harmony, respect for others and tolerance.

The first AFS participant, Samuel O’Flaherty from New Zealand, carried the torch in Sassari on December 19. “I’m living a truly unforgettable experience here in Sardinia.” commented Samuel, “I would have never dreamed that I was going to have the honor of being chosen to carry the Olympic Flame in Sassari. I’m truly proud of having been given this assignment and cannot wait to tell the story to my friends and family in New Zealand.” Samuel, who feels a passion for rugby and sports in general, arrived in Sardinia from his small town of Warkworth to spend his AFS year in Italy.

Thembekile Luthuli, a South African student from Mayville, was the second AFS Intercultura participant to take part in the relay in Taranto on January 3. “I feel honored and proud to represent not only myself and my family, but my entire country in such a prestigious ceremony.” said Thembekile. This is an experience that I’ll hold forever as one of those rare things that only happen once in a lifetime. I would have never thought that this could happen, and I thank Intercultura and my mother for having given me this opportunity.” Thembekile arrived in Puglia to spend two months with a family from Martina Franca

The Canadian student Veronique Duval will parade the Torch in Reggio Emilia on January 14. Veronique arrived in Emilia Romana in September from the small town of Nicolet on the St. Lawrence River to spend a year of study in Italy. She is being hosted by a family from Rubiera and attends the Liceo Scientifico Moro. “When I arrived in Italy, I was very tired from the trip and very anxious to meet my new family. I did not imagine that I would be offered this opportunity. I can’t wait until the 14th.” Veronique loves the arts, and especially poetry readings. She is also a member of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets.

The fourth AFS participant, Papat Jinda from Thailand will take up the Torch in Belluno on January 21. “After two months of being in Italy,” said Papat, “I had already a lot of new experiences, making new friends and having a new family. But I think that the most important experience will be running with the Olympic Torch for the Winter Games, because the Olympic Games are games for the whole world! I’m truly happy and excited!” Papat, who loves art, literature, swimming, information technology and animals, arrived in Veneto from Muang in the central province of Thailand, to attend the Liceo Scientifico Galilei for a year while living with a local family.

Finally, the Olympic flame will arrive in Como on January 30, where Hulda Jonasdottir from Iceland will proudly receive the Torch. Hulga happily accepted the proposal to participate in the relay, “I was surprised to see so much snow in Italy, more then what it was falling in Iceland!...In Iceland, during the thirteen nights before Christmas, thirteen different Santas bring gifts to the children. This time my favorite Santa, Stufur, brought me a wonderful surprise; I will carry the Olympic Torch!” Hulda is participating in the year long program at AFS Intercultura. She plays the piano and badminton, and is a member of the Girl Scouts.

There are nearly 400 foreign students from approximately 40 different countries attending AFS Intercultura exchange programs this year. All of AFS participants are hosted by Italian families who take them in as if they were their own children. AFS also counts with a committed core of volunteers in each local Chapter who offer loving support to the students and the families who host them for the duration of the program.

Although the Olympic Flame will go out at the end of the Games, AFS will continue to carry its own beacon of light promoting peace and understanding among people of diverse cultural, ethnical and socioeconomic backgrounds. May the Games begin and end, in peace.

In the photo: Sabrina Brunetti, AFS Intercultura staff member with a torch bearer as he passed in front of the AFS Intercultura headquarters in Colle, Italy.