The countdown to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics truly began on October 19th in Olympia, Greece, when the Olympic torch was lit. The tradition of lighting the Olympic flame is a practice that connects the ancient Olympics with the modern games. The flame was first introduced to the modern games during the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. In the modern context, the flame also gives a nod to an ancient Greek myth about the gifting of fire to humanity. The Olympic flame continues to highlight the growth of civilization.
The torch relay first took place ahead of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. The original relay lasted 12 days and passed through seven countries taking part in the Games. Like its successors, it began with the flame ceremony in Olympia. By handing down the flame, the torch relay demonstrates the continuation of Olympic symbolism from generation to generation.
Throughout the torch relay, the flame announces the Olympic Games and spreads a message of peace and friendship. The Torch relay ends during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The final runner, or runners, enters the stadium and lights the cauldron with the Olympic flame that stays lit for the duration of the games. This marks the start of the Olympic Games and Canada’s biennial quest for gold.
A Family Connection
Participating in an Olympic torch relay is an event few people have the privilege of taking part in. Yet, for two Canadian sisters, it has become a shared experience.
Roberta Kuan (née Reynoldson) was sixteen when she ran the torch for a kilometre near Aylesbury, Saskatchewan, ahead of the 1988 Calgary Olympics. Her sister Roxanne would go on to run the torch thirty-two years later during the relay for the 2010 Games in Vancouver.
While Roxanne was selected through an application process that considered community leadership, Roberta was chosen through a lottery system. There was no limit on the number of times someone could enter the draw, a loophole she now considers crucial to her selection.
“The person receiving the raffle tickets thought I was dropping them off for the whole school because I filled out so many,” she recalls.
As for the relay itself, the memories remain sharp. “The torch wasn’t as heavy as I expected… Carrying it did feel special, being part of something like that.”
The torch relay is part of a legacy that involves more than just athletes. With a new Olympic cycle now underway, the spirit of the Games blazes on towards Beijing.
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