TFRI senior advisor Dr. Simon Sutcliffe participated in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in January as a torch bearer in the 2010 Winter Olympic Torch Relay across Canada. He was one of approximately 12,000 individuals given the chance to carry the torch on its journey to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in BC in February. His stage of the relay took place on January 22, on a chilly afternoon in Canal Flats, BC.

Receiving the Olympic flame from local high school student and fellow torch bearer Jessica Jones, he ran his 300-metre portion of the relay with the torch held high.

Dr. Sutcliffe admitted some anxiety before his portion of the run, but said "as your flame is lit and you run off, all worries disappear." However, he was quick to point out the spirit of teamwork and the coming-together of humanity symbolized by the relay.

Dr. Sutcliffe drew comparisons between the spirit of the relay and the goals of cancer research organizations. The principles of co-operation and the sharing of a common goal that were present in the torch relay also resonate within researchers' determination to find a cure for cancer.

"We know what we have to achieve, we know who's on the team, and collectively, if we each 'run our leg' the flame will endure and we will achieve our goal."

Dr. Sutcliffe is a former co-ordinator of the TFRI's BC Node and the former president of the Cancer Agency. He currently also serves as the chair of the board for the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.