Have just watched the Olympic torch relay in Brentwood with me two (Chinese) adopted daughters so there are no racist intent here. One daughter was playing in a Brentwood Youth band the founder of whom J Wyndham MBE had to do the torch relay in grays away from his beloved band .
But my question relates to who so many of the torch bearers nationally including the leg we watched were of Chinese origin and hailing from China not even the UK. There were no details on the Chinese torchbearer in Brentwood that I could find. Are we looking at corporate nominees? using it as an opportunity to build lucrative econmic links with future partners? or is it from the connection with Samsung. I think people would like to know – it’s one thing to cheer a ‘torch’ but so much nicer to cheer the torch bearer when you know who they are and there’s a local and personal connection. I thought that was what it was all about.
From what I’ve seen, of those without stories, a striking proportion share their names and other details with telecoms and other execs, particularly in the far east and Russia, many of whom have business relationships with Samsung. We’d welcome any help going through the 400 torchbearers without stories if you’re interested?
I am glad someone has picked up on sponsors using their slots for less than inspirational canidates. I was positive about the torch relay until I found out sponsors were able to seed it with senior staff members which I feel undermines the truly inspirational people who have also carried the torch.
The first person I found was a senior marketing manager for BT who carried the torch in Swindon. There is nothing in this story that can’t be matched by hundreds of working mothers, many of whom might even have been found in Swindon.
This is her story from the Locog website:
Gaelle BrigaudHometown Age
Aulnay Sur Mauldre 37
Carrying the Flame through
Swindon
Carrying the Flame on
23 May 2012
Gaelle’s nomination story
Gaelle works to acheive her personal best every day. Gaelle encourages her colleagues to be physically active. She regularly goes to Zumba to keep fit, she lectures on marketing strategy at university. Gaelle has done some great work helping to market our new propositions, she is also looking to move into teaching, and she is never shy about asking our senior leadership team about where we are heading as a buisiness. In addition Gaelle is looking to change her career and move into sales, she has two young children and she has recently finished building her own house with her husband in paris – truly inspirational
(Story as provided by the Torchbearer’s nominator)
Thanks – I’ll include her in a long list of comms people who have been selected to carry the torch. To wit:
EDF selected the group’s former director of HR and communications#. BT selected a senior marketing manager, and BP selected Carl Halksworth, the creative director of Landor, their design agency partner for the Games. The people who had designed a range of pin badges for Coca Cola’s London 2012 campaign and the Coca Cola pavilion at the Games were also included. Three people from the Olympic Broadcasting Service and an account manager at Vodafone were among those identified by the Bournemouth Echo; the creator of a film used by the London 2012 team when bidding for the games was identified by the Brighton Argus.
Not sure if Amelia Templeman-Adams is still on your list of torch bearers to be identified but if so she is the yougest person to ski to the South Pole.
Have just watched the Olympic torch relay in Brentwood with me two (Chinese) adopted daughters so there are no racist intent here. One daughter was playing in a Brentwood Youth band the founder of whom J Wyndham MBE had to do the torch relay in grays away from his beloved band .
But my question relates to who so many of the torch bearers nationally including the leg we watched were of Chinese origin and hailing from China not even the UK. There were no details on the Chinese torchbearer in Brentwood that I could find. Are we looking at corporate nominees? using it as an opportunity to build lucrative econmic links with future partners? or is it from the connection with Samsung. I think people would like to know – it’s one thing to cheer a ‘torch’ but so much nicer to cheer the torch bearer when you know who they are and there’s a local and personal connection. I thought that was what it was all about.
From what I’ve seen, of those without stories, a striking proportion share their names and other details with telecoms and other execs, particularly in the far east and Russia, many of whom have business relationships with Samsung. We’d welcome any help going through the 400 torchbearers without stories if you’re interested?
http://www.hertsandessexobserver.co.uk/Bishops-Stortford/Choice-of-Olympic-Torchbearers-sparks-anger-14062012.htm
A number of local papers have picked up the issues of who the torch relay runners are, see above.
Thanks for that – we’ve written about the Stanford work too. Nice to see it being picked up locally.
I am one of your mystery torch bearers, I asked for my nominations story not to be published as it contained personal data relating to my family.
Thanks Helen – I hope you understand why we have been asking.
I wonder if there is more than one Helen Doyle?
http://www.lighterlifeblog.com/confidently-bearing-the-olympic-torch-thanks-to-lighterlife/#more-1581
Well spotted. There’s another who was nominated by sponsors Procter & Gamble: http://www.thurrockgazette.co.uk/news/9795754.Meet_your_Olympic_torch_bearers/?action=complain&cid=10537766
Correction: that’s the same person. Grays is in Thurrock. Also in a local newspaper report: http://www.thurrockgazette.co.uk/news/9795754.print/
I am glad someone has picked up on sponsors using their slots for less than inspirational canidates. I was positive about the torch relay until I found out sponsors were able to seed it with senior staff members which I feel undermines the truly inspirational people who have also carried the torch.
The first person I found was a senior marketing manager for BT who carried the torch in Swindon. There is nothing in this story that can’t be matched by hundreds of working mothers, many of whom might even have been found in Swindon.
This is her story from the Locog website:
Gaelle BrigaudHometown Age
Aulnay Sur Mauldre 37
Carrying the Flame through
Swindon
Carrying the Flame on
23 May 2012
Gaelle’s nomination story
Gaelle works to acheive her personal best every day. Gaelle encourages her colleagues to be physically active. She regularly goes to Zumba to keep fit, she lectures on marketing strategy at university. Gaelle has done some great work helping to market our new propositions, she is also looking to move into teaching, and she is never shy about asking our senior leadership team about where we are heading as a buisiness. In addition Gaelle is looking to change her career and move into sales, she has two young children and she has recently finished building her own house with her husband in paris – truly inspirational
(Story as provided by the Torchbearer’s nominator)
Thanks – I’ll include her in a long list of comms people who have been selected to carry the torch. To wit:
EDF selected the group’s former director of HR and communications#. BT selected a senior marketing manager, and BP selected Carl Halksworth, the creative director of Landor, their design agency partner for the Games. The people who had designed a range of pin badges for Coca Cola’s London 2012 campaign and the Coca Cola pavilion at the Games were also included. Three people from the Olympic Broadcasting Service and an account manager at Vodafone were among those identified by the Bournemouth Echo; the creator of a film used by the London 2012 team when bidding for the games was identified by the Brighton Argus.
Not sure if Amelia Templeman-Adams is still on your list of torch bearers to be identified but if so she is the yougest person to ski to the South Pole.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-16135755
Should have type Hempleman-Adams – sorry for the typo
Pingback: Entrevista a Paul Bradshaw - Más Investigación | Más Investigación