Last Thursday, I was very fortunate to attend the Official Lighting Ceremony of the Olympic Flame in Olympia, Greece, on behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada.
We sat in hushed awe as the “priestesses” descended a hillside before us, delivering the flame in a dance ritual drawn from ancient times. From the Temple of Hera, through the archway, to the arena of the original Olympic Games centuries ago, the flame passed from Priestess to athlete, a dove was released, and the 2010 Olympic torch relay began.
This was a big day for Vancouver, for British Columbia and for Canada. VANOC can be proud of their seamless organization, embodying the Olympic principles of excellence, friendship and fairness. Congratulations to John Furlong and his Organizing Committee!
The lighting of the flame was an important milestone in their marathon of hard work, and a very moving launch of Canada’s 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
- Joyce Murray
ps. You can watch a video of ceremony here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p7PeKPxRHA
