Tenbury guide leader will be carrying the Olympic Torch through Ludlow (From Ludlow Advertiser)

Tenbury guide leader will be carrying the Olympic Torch through Ludlow

8:00am Thursday 17th May 2012 in Ludlow

A GUIDE leader from Tenbury has been chosen to carry the Olympic torch through Ludlow Town Centre.

Meryl Handley will carry the torch along with five others, through the centre of the town as it makes its way from its home in Athens to London for the 2012 games.

The 61-year-old will be dressed in a white track suit uniform as she makes her way along the streets of Ludlow next Thursday. “I believe that the decision to choose me is in recognition of my work with the brownies and guides,” said the 61 year old who was nominated by one of her daughters.

“It is something that I am looking forward to. I will carry the torch for about 300 yards and am told that it weighs about the same as a bag of sugar.”

Meryl who lives in Eardiston has been involved with brownies and guides in Tenbury for 25 years and has held district and divisional commander roles.

Both of her daughters Lucy and Tracey are also involved with the movement.

Plan for the day: THE Olympic Torch will arrive in Ludlow at just before 2pm and be met at Ludford Bridge by students from Ludlow College.

Throughout the day there will be a special Olympic market in Ludlow with traders dress in togas in a re-enactment of what it might have looked like in ancient Greece.

Garden parties for children have been organised at Helena House at St Peter’s.

The torch will then be taken to Clee Hill where it will be met at about 2.30pm by 500 flag-waving children lining the route.

From there it will go to Cleobury Mortimer arriving at about 2.45pm.

Students from Lacon Childe School will be taking part in a special sports day and there will be a parade involving the Olympic rings.

At the Seven Hospice shop there will be a craft session showing people how to make flags and banners from discarded clothing.

The torch will leave south Shropshire for a visit to Far Forest where it will arrive at just after 3pm.

The other torch bearers: Matty Clarke, 14, from Lydbury North, is also taking the flame through Ludlow.

The popular teenager is hoping to show people that having disabilities does not need to affect your lifestyle. He has a genetic disorder, suffered from brittle asthma, has two small holes in his heart, loose joints and has always worn s p e c i a l i s t footwear from the hospital and is also dairy intollerant. This has not stopped him fitting in with mainstream school, as well as joining the Army Cadets.

Chole Stanik, 15, from Leominster, has "a degenerative muscle wasting disease, charcot-marie tooth or CMT type 2.

She also suffers from adhd, asthma and parasomnia.

Daily life is made all the more difficult by the need to wear orthotic splints, circumstances that do not hold her back.

Emma Patrick, 45, from Hereford.

Emma is the full-time coach to Great Britain's fantastic Paralympic gold medal winning swimmers Sascha and Nyree Kindred.

Unfunded, she has trained them for the Sydney Games and remains totally committed to them on their journey to represent GB at London 2012.

Alex Hollis, 11, from Kidderminster is described as a talented student at King Charles I Secondary School, with a promising future.

Lucy Fellows, 15 from Stourport-on-Severn.

Lucy suffers from a rare genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

This causes constant joint pains throughout the body and chronic fatigue among other ailments. She looks after her mother who suffers from a severe form of the condition.