PAUL WARBURTON TALKS TO.... Duncan Vaughan, Associate in the Corporate & Commercial Department at DWF in Leeds – about running in the Olympic torch relay
Duncan, we hear that you were one the torch bearers for the Olympic relay legs – how did that come about?
In 2009, I ran five international marathons (Barcelona, London, San Francisco, Berlin and New York) to raise money for the cancer charities, Christies and MacMillan. To generate interest in the causes, I wrote a marathon running blog ( www.fivemarathons.com ), which attracted over 2,000 followers across the globe, helping to raise around £15,000 for the charities. I continue to run and the blog aims to inspire others to run and raises awareness of, not only my causes, but also those of my fellow runners.
What leg did you do?
I ran on day 33 on the first leg into Appleby-in-Westmorland, in my home county of Cumbria.
What was the highlight for you?
Perhaps at the end of my leg, when my girlfriend Jayne broke through the police cordon around the torch to kiss me! Little did she realise, the BBC coverage was beaming it all around the world!
Are you one of the lucky ones with a ticket?
Yes, I’ve got two tickets for the Olympic football final at Wembley. I’m just hoping for Team GB to reach the final now!
We presume you’re a big supporter of the Games coming to London so what do you hope its legacy will be?
I’m convinced it will inspire the next generation of Olympians. The massive public interest generated by the torch relay shows just how much the Olympics means to the public at large. Wouldn’t it be great if some of Team GB’s medal winners in 2024 were inspired by the London Olympics?
