Honoured to carry the Olympic torch

Dinnington Comprehensive’s Dana Abdulkarim and Jack Waring were both overwhelmed when they discovered they had been chosen.

Jack, 17, was left paralysed when he collapsed after taking ear drops for a suspected infection several years ago.

Since then he has taken up wheelchair basketball now trains with the GB as well as playing for various others, as well as studying for his A Levels.

“I am just overwhelmed. It’s really, really exciting and I’m honoured to be chosen for such a thing,” said Jack, who will carry the torch in Scunthorpe.

“I’m looking forward to watching my friends compete in the Olympics and Paralympics. Since we found out it was coming to London I’ve been looking forward to it.”

His mum Lorraine, who nominated him to carry the torch, said: “It’s fantastic news. Jack is such an inspiration.”

“I am so proud of everything he does and now somebody else has realised how inspirational he is. He deserves everything he gets.”

PE teacher and rounders player Dana Abdulkarim is also looking forward to carrying the torch on the Darton to Kexbrough leg on 25th June.

Dana was put forward for the honour by her mother Ann for being the first headscarf wearing Muslim to play for England and to coach an England team. She also helped raise thousands of pounds towards a school sports trip to Canada.

“I got the information through in December and then I had to go through security checks.”

“I was told about 4pm on Friday that I was in but I had to keep it a secret until Monday morning. I’m quite eager to get some more information about it all!”

It was a bit unreal reading some of the stories (about why people had been nominated). I’m just doing my job.”

The school headteacher Paul Blackwell said it was ‘fantastic news’ that two people from the school had been chosen.

“As a school we are so pleased,” he said. He added that former Dinnington Comprehensive pupil Ruby Smith has also been chosen to carry the torch in Sheffield.

Another torchbearer is Tracy Haycox, strategic runaway services manager for Safe@Last.

“It’s unbelievable. I can’t begin to describe how it feels,” said Tracy, who develop and manage all the services which the Dinnington-based charity runs.

“I am really looking forward to the Olympics and I’m very excited about the fact that I have the opportunity to assist at such an amazing sporting event.”

“I was so honoured just to be nominated - somebody thought the work I do was enough to be nominated for an event like this.”

Tracy, who was nominated by her sister Sarah Hughes, felt it was a double honour because she turns 50 on 18th May, the day the torch relay arrives in the UK.