SC teacher Eryn Hessian was among the lucky Canadians to participate in the Olympic torch relay across Canada.
Ms. Hessian carried the torch for approximately 300 metres through the town of Asbestos, Quebec on Saturday, December 5 at approximately 4:19 p.m.
A number of students, teachers and friends travelled to Asbestos to watch Ms. Hessian run. Her mother and sister even travelled from Nova Scotia to witness the event.
She earned the opportunity to participate in the relay by answering a question a day on the relay website every day for three months with her Grade 7 students last year. This allowed her 93 entries in a random draw and was selected to write an essay on "living Olympic," in which she discussed such virtues as volunteerism, healthy lifestyles and mentorship.
In all, 12,000 people will carry the torch on its 45,000-kilometre journey to Vancouver, BC to ignite the Winter Olympic Cauldron on February 12, 2010.
Ms. Hessian teaches in the Math/Science Department at Stanstead College and is the head of University Guidance. She also coaches basketball and rugby.
Rugby, in fact, is Ms. Hessian's passion. A former All-Canadian at St. F. X. University, she just completed her fourth season as head coach of the Bishop's University women's rugby team. She was recently named the Quebec University Rugby Union's women's coach of the year for the second year in a row. She was also nominated as a CIS coach of the year.
Go, Ms. Hessian, go!
Photo courtesy Bishop's University.
