Thursday, November 29, 2001

Olympic Torch Relay to cross TCU campus
By Heather Christie
Staff Reporter

For TCU swim coach Richard Sybesma, carrying the Olympic Torch across campus Wednesday Dec. 12 approximately between 8:58 a.m. and 9:02 a.m. has special meaning because he is running in memory of an former TCU swimmer.

“It’s a great honor, not just to run in the torch relay, but to do it in one of your ex-swimmers memory, that just adds so much more special meaning to it,” Sybesma said.
Ex-swimmer, Matt Walters, died last March from a heart attack, he said.

Walters was one of the top swimmers between 1988 and 1992 under his coaching, Sybesma said.

“He was a phenomenal athlete, very hard worker and a great swimmer. He had a great career here and he went on and got his masters here, too,” Sybesma said.

Sybesma said he received a call from Walters’ wife, Darlene, who works for the Salt Lake City Olympic Committee and she asked if he would run the torch relay in Walters’ honor.

“She said they had a spot open that would run through the TCU campus on University Drive,” Sybesma said.

Walters’ wife and mother plan to attend, he said.

Sybesma will be one of the estimated 11,500 people to carry the Olympic torch throughout the nation for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. The Olympic flame will cover 13,500 miles in 46 states.

According to a press release, the Olympic Torch Relay will pass through the TCU campus and will arrive in Salt Lake City Feb. 8 for the opening ceremony, which officially inaugurates the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

Chad Lorance, TCU communications specialist, said each person who carries the Olympic flame will carry it approximately two-tenths of a mile.

Lorance said Sybesma will pick up the torch at Berry Street and carry it to Cantey Street and then he will pass it on. Different groups around campus are going to participate, but specific participation has not been determined, he said.

“We did want to get the word out and let people know who is going to be on campus that morning so they could come by and see it,” Lorance said.

Lorance said approximately 800 students from Alice Carlson Elementary School will be spectators and will cheer as Sybesma passes the Moudy Building.

Kathleen Cooter, Starpoint principal/director, said about 55-60 Starpoint students will participate in what could be a once-in-a-lifetime event.

“The students will be thrilled. It’s difficult for children to be part of these kinds of events sometimes and it’s wonderful that they will have the opportunity to feel a small part of it,” Cooter said.

LaJean Sturman, Starpoint School Administrative Assistant, said they will announce the event to students on Friday.

“We are going to come clad in purple, as purple as we can be, to represent TCU and we are going to walk over and be along the sidewalk of University Drive watching the torch come by,” Sturman said. “I know that they (Starpoint students) will look forward to it.”

Lorance said his office the has known about the event for awhile but they could not reveal the time and date because of security reasons.

”It’s close enough now and we are trying to get the word out to students so they can come out to this once-in-a-lifetime deal,” Lorance said.

The last time the Olympic torch came through Fort Worth was when Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympic Summer Games.

Heather J. Christie
h.j.christie@student.tcu.edu