On Day 74 of the Olympic Torch Run, Steve Parent-Korbie carried the Olympic Torch through Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta with over 50 supporters cheering him on. According to Parent-Korbie nothing could replace that feeling.
“It was the most exhilarating experience once they light the torch and you hold it proudly above your head. I happen to be the first torchbearer for the Fort Saskatchewan leg, so my torch was lit using the lantern that was lit from the original flame in Greece. This made the experience even more special.”
Steve had been dreaming about this moment since 1988, as a 14 year-old afflicted with Cerebral Palsy, when he witnessed the Torch passing by, carried by no ordinary runner. “I saw a disabled torch relay runner wheel with the torch back in 1988 for the Calgary Olympics. After seeing only able bodied runners with the torch, it was actually really cool to see the runner in the wheelchair. In the back of my mind I told myself if there was every an opportunity to run with the Olympic torch I would try.” And try he did.
In the Spring of 2009, Steve nominated himself to be an official Olympic Torch Bearer in a Coca Cola promotion. He answered the daily trivia contests, and waited for his chance. The cut-off date came and went, and Steve accepted the idea that he did not make it. All was not lost however as a week later he got an email stating he had made it through to round two. They now required an essay stating why he should carry the torch integrating it with topics from the previous trivia questions. He sent it in and waited, again not receiving any word back on cut-off day. On August 10, 2009, two days before his wedding to his now husband Randy in Niagara Falls; Coca Cola sent him an email. He was a potential Olympic Torchbearer. The only thing left to do was to fill out a consent form and send within a week.
Luckily, their marriage location was across from a Gift Shop with access to the internet. That night they had their wedding rehearsal, signed the forms, picked up their tuxedos and couriered off the forms. All Steve had to do now was enjoy his wedding and wait until January 2010.
Having a disability has not slowed him down. He is proud of being an openly gay man with Cerebral Palsy living life like everyone else. The opportunity to carry the Olympic Torch only strengthens his advocacy for future generations.
“It is important to have this opportunity to allow the general public to become a part of the Olympic family and to allow the future generations to see that no matter how the odds are stacked up against you, with dedication and perseverance any dream you have can come true. There are always persons with disabilities carrying the torch. However it is a very small percentage of the overall torchbearers. For the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, there are only 3% out of the 12,000 torchbearers that have a disability. So I feel very privileged to be a part of that group. It makes me feel very proud to see disabled people receiving a chance to show the world who they are. Being an openly gay disabled male, I have had to deal with the hardships that come along with not only being disabled, but the ones that come along with being gay. So seeing people in the minority community, gives me a sense of pride as we are just seen as member of society and just as important as the next person.“
Standing by his side is his husband of nearly one year, Randy. “I felt very proud of Steve as he went through this experience. I love his determination and outlook on both us as a couple and our future together. I love my little Torchbearer Dimples.”
Upon reflection of this past year’s journey, Steve has many people to acknowledge. “I would like to thank all of my friends and family, everyone at NAIT, my husband Randy, and the countless supporters that were with me on this journey. I would like to also thank Coca-Cola and VANOC for giving me this opportunity to become part of the 2010 Olympic family.”
And in the process, this 14 year-old with a dream has undoubtedly passed along a torch of another kind, to inspire many others.
