Left: Catherine Lometo will join 20 young people from across the globe in the Olympics torch relay in London. Correspondent
Right: The Olympic flame photographed in front of the 10 Downing Street residence of Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London in 2008. Reuters
What you need to know:
Catherine Lometo landed this rare chance due to her passion for sport plus being a role model to girls in her school, writes Bamuturaki Musinguzi.
On June 28, Catherine Lometo from Lokopo, Moroto district, some 420 kilometres northeast of Kampala, will run the Olympics torch relay in Nottingham in the United Kingdom.
She is among a group of 20 young people involved in “International Inspiration,” the London 2012 international sports legacy programme, who landed the rare opportunity to carry the Olympic Torch.
They were selected from 20 countries which are part of the programme.
Each torchbearer was picked on the basis of either their commitment to inspiring children and young people in their communities through sports or for the personal challenges they have overcome in their lives that help to inspire others.
Martin Lule, the deputy head teacher of Lometo’s school — Nalinya-lwantale Girls Secondary in Luwero District, some 75 kilometres from Kampala nominated her because she demonstrated a passion for athletics, especially the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m marathons.
She is also a role model to girls in her school and has encouraged them to join sports because of the health benefits.
The beginning
“I started participating in sports at Primary Five level in 2008; my teacher encouraged me to compete in athletics at district level and later trained me for the 5,000m race. A coach was then sought to help me prepare for international races,” Lometo said.
The ambitious athlete adds: “I enjoy long races and hope to win a gold medal one day, like double gold medallist Moses Kipsiro.”
On her maiden international outing in 2010, Lometo won bronze when she finished third at the Africa Youth Championships in Khartoum.
International Inspiration is bringing to life the promise made by the London Bid team in Singapore in 2005 to reach young people across the globe and connect them to the inspirational power of the sport.
The programme is delivered around the world by a unique partnership of organisations including the British Council, Unicef and UK Sport.
Enriching lives
It aims at using sports to enrich the lives of millions of children and young people in schools and communities across the world, particularly in developing countries.
The programme is already changing the lives of young people in 20 countries — Azerbaijan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, South Africa, Tanzania, Turkey, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and Zambia.
Lometo said: “When I was in primary school, my dream was to become a nurse but the marathon experience has changed that; I hope to become an athletics coach and train future generations of Ugandan youth to achieve their sporting dreams.”
Sebastian Coe, the double Olympic 1,500m champion and former world record holder said: “Catherine has been an inspiration in her community and truly demonstrates how sport can change someone’s life.”
He added: “I’m thrilled that young people from around the world will also get the chance to run with the Olympics flame.”
Coe also chairs the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
To enable longer-term impact, the International Inspiration programme is developed jointly with the governments, National Olympic Committees and National Paralympic Committees, of participating countries.
The programme is supported by the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee.
The school partnerships for International Inspiration are managed by the British Council, which links schools internationally, in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, which utilises its expertise in developing teachers and young leaders through sport.
