Community Heroes Will Carry Torch

Lloyd Nelson has never made headlines--at least not since 1932, when he set a Montebello High discus throw record and his photograph appeared in the school yearbook. He worked for one employer, Uniroyal, for five decades, has lived in one house, in Montebello, for 65 years, and has been married to one woman, Ruth, for 65 years.

Although he never won awards as an athlete or artist, he is a hero to his daughter, Diana. And she decided the best way to thank him was to nominate him to carry the Olympic torch through Southern California on its way to Salt Lake City next February for the Winter Games.

“I nominated him because he is a great father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great citizen,” said Diana Nelson, who lives in Ontario. “He always set an example to look up to.... He has worked so hard in his life that I wanted to pay tribute to him. I always felt he never got the recognition he deserved.”

Nicole Ostoya’s husband, Jacek, nominated her to be a torchbearer as a reward for supporting him through a nightmarish year. The Los Angeles couple’s daughter, Milla, was born with a chromosomal disorder and is physically and mentally challenged; just as Nicole prepared to end her maternity leave, Jacek was diagnosed with cancer in his right arm. Both also tended to parents with health problems.

“My husband told me he had submitted my name, but he said, ‘We didn’t get anything back, so I think they didn’t pick us,”’ Nicole Ostoya said. “Then we found out we were both picked, and we’re just so excited. We just love the Olympics, especially the Winter Olympics.”

The Salt Lake Organizing Committee will announce today the Nelsons and the Ostoyas are among more than three dozen torchbearers entrusted with carrying the flame through Southern California. The flame will be lighted Nov. 19 in Olympia, Greece, and will be brought on Dec. 4 to Atlanta, site of the 1996 Summer Games. From Georgia, it will be carried by 11,500 people on a 65-day, 13,500-mile journey through 46 states. It will arrive in Salt Lake City Feb. 8 for the Olympic opening ceremony and will burn until the Games end on Feb. 24.

The flame will arrive in California Jan. 14 and will be carried north from San Diego through Los Angeles until Jan. 16.

More than 210,000 nominations were received from friends and family of would-be torchbearers. Of those, 7,200 were chosen to be “Community Torchbearers,” people who have inspired their loved ones or peers. There will also be 4,000 “Olympic Torchbearers” chosen from a pool of Olympians, athletes representing other Olympic sports and Olympic sponsors. Three-time Olympic cyclist Lance Armstrong will carry the torch in his hometown of Austin, Texas.