THE OLYMPIC flame lands in Cyprus today for its final stop before heading off to Greece for the beginning of the Olympic Games 2004.
The flame is a symbol of unity, friendship and celebration between all the countries that will take part in this year’s Olympic Games, which have returned to their country of origin. It was first lit on March 25 at the Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia and has passed through 34 cities in 27 countries since then.
A total of 150 torchbearers will carry the flame in the two days it will be in Cyprus and one of the torchbearers who has the honour is a young woman called Elena Sofia Andreou who will take part in the flame’s route through Limassol this afternoon.
Andreou, 24, is one of the 50 torchbearers chosen by the official sponsors of the Olympic Games, Coca Cola. Her family owns Andreou Family Restaurants Co which is the owner of the McDonalds franchises in Cyprus, a company which she explains is about more than restaurants and the fast food industry.
It is a company, she says, which makes “social contributions to local families, schools and particularly children with special needs, cancer, leukemia. They do not just help financially but in other meaningful and significant ways as well”.
For example, Andreou said, McDonalds restaurants all over Cyprus employ children with special needs, giving them the chance to be around other people, to help in any way they can and to just feel special.
Because of the social work Andreou’s family does all over Cyprus, Coca Cola offered her the opportunity to take part in the unique experience of being a torchbearer.
Andreou said that they wanted an experienced crew member from McDonalds who has slowly made their way up through all the positions in the restaurant to a top management position in the company which is what Andreou has done since arriving in Cyprus from her country of birth, Germany, in 1998. She started off as a crew member and is currently Multi-Department Head which puts her responsible of the operations, marketing and human resources departments in the company.
Andreou said she didn’t realise what an honour it was to be offered the chance to carry the torch until all 50 torchbearers met last month at a presentation of the flame’s route. Watching the video of all the countries it visited and the millions of people around the world who had the chance to see it and carry it, brought the reality home. That it is a unique and special experience.
She said: “I am happy and honoured to be carrying the torch and not nervous at all.”
The Limassol celebrations of the Olympic flame’s arrival will begin at the Limassol castle where shuttle buses will be waiting to take the torchbearers to their starting positions.
Andreou will carry the torch past the McDonalds restaurant in Germasogeia, Limassol where all the employees and other spectators are sure to make the experience even more special and memorable for her.
As well as Andreou, people from local colleges, athletes and children with special needs will all carry the torch part of the way, some running, some jogging and some being pushed in wheelchairs but no matter the means, it is the meaning of the experience that counts.
