Torchbearer - Richard Brown
Link to the full Malvern Hills webpage here.
Richard's sister, Jo, was a talented sports woman and she had gone to China to support the GB team at the Bejiing Olympics. Whilst she was there she died in a fall. Her death was devastating for the family but Rich wanted to do something positive so he set up The Joanna Brown Trust.
The aim of it is to encourage involvement in sport. To provide people with an opportunity to experience sport and excel in it. 100% of the money it receives goes directly to the cause and sporting projects. Richard has worked without pay for 3 years and has raised over £90,000. The Trust provides talented young athletes from the UK with financial support to help them excel in their chosen sports, many of these are future British Olympic hopefuls. The trust has also funded projects abroad, such the construction of a dormitory at an activity centre for children in Mumbai, India.
Rich not only runs the entire Trust, he has challenged himself. For example, he is currently training for the New York marathon because Jo was training to run it when she died. Everyone that meets Rich is amazed by his ability to turn a tragedy into a source of inspiration for others. He is completely dedicated to keeping his sister's memory alive by allowing others to excel in sport the way that she did.
The London Olympics will mark the 4 year anniversary of Jo's death and being a torchbearer would be such a powerful symbol of his sister and all that he has achieved to promote participation and excellence in sport.
Torchbearer Richard said:
"To have been selected to be a Torchbearer for the Olympic Flame is amazing! Just to have been nominated was very humbling, so to have actually been selected is very overwhelming. Having set up The Joanna Brown Trust in memory of my sister it is a wonderful thing to be doing in celebration of what we have achieved in Jo’s name. Jo died in an accident whilst travelling back from the last Olympics in Beijing, where she’d been to watch the games, so to be a Torch Bearer for London 2012 is very special. I’ll certainly be carrying the Torch for Jo on Friday 25th May. The fact I have the opportunity to carry the Torch in my home town of Malvern makes it even more special."
Councillor Barbara Williams at MHDC said:
“I am delighted that Richard Brown has been recognised for his dedicated work and commitment to the Joanna Brown Trust. Joanna Brown, who was born and bred in Malvern, was a very talented athlete herself and Richard’s work to support sports people both locally and abroad through the Trust is a very fitting tribute to Joanna. We actively support the trust and have worked with Richard in developing a local ‘Talented Athlete Grant Scheme’ which is funded jointly by MHDC and the Trust and which has already supported over a dozen talented athletes over the past 18 months.”
Mark Williamson, age 52
Bob Woodward, age 79
Dan Johnsey, age 17
David Humphries, age 57
Edward Aston, age 16
Hannah Palmer, age 17
Ian Dugmore, age 41
Louise Brown, age 38
Matthew Ash, age 18
Alice Wright, age 17
Maurice Figueredo Kariembaks, age 13
Rick Evans, age 45
Vivian Martins, age 31
A link to all 8000 torchbearers across the county can be found here:
http://www.london2012.com/games/olympic-torch-relay/torchbearers/search.php
