Workington torchbearer hopes to meet hero on Olympic run day

Last updated at 07:56, Friday, 04 May 2012

A Workington man who was given the opportunity to be a torchbearer through a competition at work is hoping to meet one of his local heroes on the day.

HERO: Asda worker Chris Casson, of Workington

Chris Casson, 38, of Lakeland View, will be carrying the torch through Workington and is hoping to meet fellow torchbearer and fell running legend Joss Naylor, who is torchbearing through Flimby.

Chris said: “I would love to get a photo taken with Joss Naylor because he is a bit of a local hero.

“I am looking forward to it. I think it will be really good.

“It will be a nice story for my daughter Evie and when she is older I will be able to go to her school and show them the torch and tell them all about it.

“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Chris’s family from Leeds and his brother from Newcastle will travel to Workington to see him on the day and his wife Kerrie is hoping to get the day off work so she can take 20-month-old Evie along.

Chris is one of two workers from Asda at Dunmail Park who were nominated as torchbearers through a competition run by Coca Cola, one of the main sponsors of the games.

The store in the country which sold the most Olympic edition Coca Cola was given the chance to nominate four members of staff to be torchbearers.

Four nominees were picked by colleagues and management and Coca Cola decided on the final two.

Chris, a home shopping supervisor, thinks he was nominated because he helps out in all departments of the store and works in the background to help customers.

As well as his work in the store he was part of a group that raised £1,100 for the 4th Workington Cub Scout Pack by doing the Three Peaks Challenge in August.

He is planning on doing some more fund-raising for the pack in June when he and his friends tackle the Welsh 3000 Challenge which involves getting to the top of all 15 of the mountains over 3,000 ft in Wales without using any form of transport.

First published at 06:09, Friday, 04 May 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk