Jessica Shepley Can Add Olympic Torch Bearer to Her Resume

This Christmas season will forever have a special place in my heart and soul. While I was home in Canada I had the honor of being a Torch Bearer in the Olympic Torch Relay as it made my way through my home town of Oakville, Ontario. It was 400 meters I will never forget, and an experience that will forever send a wave of inspiration through my body when I think of the meaning, the people and the passion that accompanies THE FLAME.

I arrived at my starting destination in a designated Olympic van to a sea of people- many of them I knew and many just wanting to share in the unity, spirit and love the Olympic Games bring to a country. Lots of pictures were taken, waves, shouts and smiles were being exchanged and after what seemed like an eternity I watched as the runner in front made it over the hill towards me. Just writing about it still gives me the chills. It was one of those times in your life when you wish you could hit the slow motion button. I wanted to just hang out on the street in the freezing temperatures with my friends and family, watching everyone laughing and jumping around to stay warm. As she arrived in front of me we raised our torches in the air, brought them together and the cheering began as the torch ignited and it was my turn to create a tiny piece of history.

I took a little teasing from my friends and family afterwards for apparently taking off in a sprint but trust me when I say I enjoyed every second of it. It was in all fairness called the Olympic Torch Relay, right? I ran, skipped and bounced down the route, my friends and family running right there besides me, waving to all the people lining the streets and giving them their moment to be part of the Olympics.

I wish everyone the opportunity to have a moment like this in their life. A time when everything is just right and they possess something so magical that people can’t help but stop and watch with that look in their eyes. It is an honor I will never forget. A day in my life that I had the pleasure to not only inspire others, but to TRULY BE INSPIRED!

**For those of you wondering how I had the opportunity to carry the torch along with 11, 999 other people, it was through a corporate sponsorship I have with The Royal Bank of Canada, one of the title sponsors of the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Oh and yes, of course, when given the opportunity to buy the torch I carried, my parents made sure to buy it for me for Christmas. Thanks Mom and Dad! Jess

Jessica Shepley is a native of Oakville, Ontario and a fifth-year member of the Duramed FUTURES Tour. She played collegiate golf at the University of Tennessee, where she was a two-time Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Conference First Team selection and a two-time NGCA Academic All-American. She finished fourth individually at the 2003 and 2004 SEC Championship, and finished fifth individually at the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship. She was the winner of the 2009 Canadian PGA Women’s Championship and is a current member of the LPGA Tour.