St. Thomas Special Olympics male athlete of the year Gordie Michie proudly held the torch as local athletes made their way through downtown St. Thomas, Ont. Tuesday. As traffic stopped to cheer on the athletes, they made their way from the west end of the city to City Hall, then onto the St. Thomas Police Station for a barbeque as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR). “It’s fun to hold the torch and being part of this special day and I like to run to keep healthy to have fun for the day,” said Michie. Michie is coming off a strong performance at the national games where he won 3 gold medals, one silver and one bronze. He likes the torch run because it raises awareness to help with fundraising for his peers. “The support and the money helps for sure,” said Michie. “I get to meet a lot of people, it’s always fun to have field cheer me on and it’s a special day”. The St. Thomas Police Service was joined by the OPP and Aylmer Police who escorted the athletes during the route. “It just warms our heart and our athletes that mean so much to us,” said Staff Sgt. Kim Manuel, the law enforcement coordinator with the LETR. “The law enforcement torch run supports some athletes across the province. The funds that we raise actually go back to Special Olympics Ontario and different events that they’re involved in. These athletes compete both at local, provincial and national levels as well”.
