-
Dateline Tuesday 12 Dec. 2001 -
 Princeton woman's
Olympic dream comes true
By:
BARBARA HAWKINS of the Daily
Telegraph staff December
12, 2001
CHARLESTON
- "It was awesome,"
explained Mercer County's Janet
Mabe when she finished her
two-tenths of a mile run with the
Olympic 2002 torch Tuesday night.
Mabe
-eyes shining with excitement as
she greeted family and friends on
Kanawha Boulevard a short
distance from the state capitol -
described her experience as
"wonderful." A Glenwood
resident and employee of the
Mercer County Convention and
Visitors Bureau, was cheered by
approximately 30 family members
waiting at the intersection of
Elizabeth Street where she began
her run.Mabe was among 25 West
Virginians selected to carry the
Olympic torch through the
mountain state. The torch went
through Huntington and Charleston
Tuesday and was scheduled to
leave for Pennsylvania at 7 a.m.
today. Among the crowd waiting
for Mabe were her husband Norman,
son Jason, daughter-in-law
Rebecca of Bristol, Tenn., and
daughter Tracy and three
grandchildren of Charlottesville,
Va. Also, there were three
sisters and one brother with
their families and a host of
friends.A cheer went up from the
crowd when Mabe emerged from a
bus and waited for her torch to
blaze. She started her short
length by running with her
supporters following on the
sidewalk."Hey, slow
down," yelled her husband.
Earlier he had predicted that she
would change from her planned
fast walk to a slow walk so she
could enjoy carrying the torch
"as long as
possible."Wearing number 179
on her blue and white Olympic
suit Mabe said her trip ended too
soon. She said she had hardly
started when she realized she was
at the end."I couldn't
believe it when I saw the other
torchbearer standing there
waiting for me to light his
flame," Mabe said. After her
run ended she was allowed to keep
the 3 1/2 pound aluminum and
glass torch she carried in the
event. Mabe's son, Jason, who
nominated her, said that watching
his mom was "better than I
imagined--it was great."
©Bluefield
Daily Telegraph 2001
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