Shawn Johnson & Iowa Teen to Carry Olympic Torch

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By Daren Sukhram

Story Created: Oct 30, 2009 at 8:12 PM CST

Story Updated: Oct 30, 2009 at 8:13 PM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS - Olympic Gold medalist Shawn Johnson and a lucky Iowa teen are set to carry the torch for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games.

The Torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame through Calgary, Canada, on January 18-19, 2010 as it makes its way to Vancouver and the Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games on February 12, 2010.

The Olympic Torch Relay, presented in part by Coca-Cola, will last for 106 days, cover more than 27,000 miles and link together more than 1,000 communities and places of interest throughout Canada. Check out the full route.

The U.S. Torchbearers were selected because they each use their passion for positive living to affect meaningful, enduring change in local and global communities.

Shawn’s involvement with Triple Play, a program created by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Coca-Cola, she has helped encourage children to become more physically active, eat healthier and feel more self-confident.

Talia Leman, 14, of Waukee, will join other youth and Johnson on a two-day leg of the relay.

Through her non-profit organization, RandomKid, Talia has impacted the lives of more than 12,000 children in 20 countries working together to make a difference for a variety of local and global causes.

Learn more at www.livepositively.com

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