This is a sampling of Friday's torchbearers and their stories:
Marc Paxton, 23, of Bountiful was struck by a severe headache and checked into the hospital Nov. 2, 2001. Instead of headaches, doctors found a tumor the size of an orange in his brain. They preformed immediate surgery on Paxton and were able to save his life, removing half of the tumor. That was three months ago. Since then, he has made a startling recovery through extensive rehabilitation. He was nominated to run the torch at the last minute and has been practicing hard. His physical therapist made a mock torch for him to practice walking with. The torch has a greater meaning for him since his devastating discovery of the cancer that he still struggles with. "It's a symbol of hope. The torch isn't just for patients with brain tumors. It's for anyone who needs help overcoming things in their lives," Paxton said. Paxton's run has an especially poignant connection. His great-great uncle was Alma Richards, Utah's first gold-medal Olympian.
Gerald Klemm, 81, Salt Lake City, is no stranger to the torch run. He ran the Olympic torch through Salt Lake as part of the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games Torch Relay. But there is something different about this run for him. He will run on the same day that his daughter, Christy Felton, will run. Klemm, a longtime volunteer, took early retirement to volunteer to help senior citizens with their tax returns among other projects. His daughter calls him "her hero" even though he describes her the same way.
Christy Felton, 56, of Sandy, was a single mom of four when she went back to school and received an electrical engineering degree. Felton learned sign language to communicate with her daughter, who is deaf, and then taught sign language to adults in the community so her daughter could communicate in her neighborhood. Felton also went on to become a marathon runner, competing in 22 marathons. When she runs the torch today, she said she will be watching the people on the sidelines. "It's not me as a person that is carrying the torch. I represent the fact that we all have struggles to overcome and we have to try and do the best we can do today," Felton said.
Brian Benedict, 43, of Salt Lake, knows what it's like to watch from the sidelines. He was the strength coach for the U.S. women's ski team in 1995. He watched athletes and trained them day and day out. He has worked with some of the best, including Picabo Street. He said strength coaches know elite athletes better than anyone else and the time and energy that goes into making Olympic dreams realities. Carrying the torch is one way to connect to the Olympic ideal. He said he has done a lot of neat things in his life but carrying the torch will be in a class by itself. "This is the first time," he said, "I've ever been nervous."
