When Williams Lake resident David Scheer got a phone call from his wife while he was at work, notifying him he’d been chosen to carry the Olympic Torch on Jan. 30 in Burns Lake, shock set in.
“I was shaking like a leaf,” Scheer said. “I was in shock, really, because I had convinced myself that I hadn’t made it.”
Scheer was selected by Coca-Cola to carry the flame in Burns Lake for 300 metres after submitting his application more than a year ago.
“They ask you to write an essay about things like your accomplishments, as far as sports go, and what you do to promote and lead a healthy life,” he says.
“And they also ask you what you do for the environment, like what steps you take to lessen your impact on the environment.”
Over the summer, Scheer finished in the top 10 at the Adrenaline World Solo Championships in Canmore, Alta. — a mountain bike race pitting him against elite riders from 15 countries around the world.
So naturally, Scheer described his experience in his letter, along with his efforts to commute to work by riding his bike at least four times a week.
“I attend the green fairs that are in town to try and promote Toyota’s [his employer] hybrid technology,” he adds.
“It’s both an honour and a privilege.
“The Olympic flame, it represents unity among the nations. And to be able to accept the flame, then carry the flame, then pass it on — I can’t even put it into words.
“It’s just an honour.”