Mark 'Beretts' Beretta, Sunrise Sports Reporter, has described in detail what it was like as he ran with the Olympic Torch during the Australian leg of the Torch Relay.

 

"You're trying to stop the world turning for those two and half minutes you have [the torch]. Blink and it's gone."

"It's pretty special when you get together with the 79 other torch bearers."

"From Fiona Stanley who has done great work in the medical sphere, Fiona Wood, Ian Fraser - Australian of The Year. I handed it off to Peter Sharp who has done tremendous work through Indigenous Health."

"It's quite a selection of Australians and you forget the amazing tings we do in this country."

"They believe around 40,000 people assembled today. That's so much more than anyone relay expected. "

 

Soon after starting his run, Beretts was pulled aside by one of the Chinese Torch Guardians. After some short confusion, it became clear the tracksuit-clad Chinese official was simply correcting the hold Berretts had on the torch.

"Yes, apparently there is a certain way you have to hold the torch,. You've really got to get it up there!" says Mark.

Running with the torch, Mark was overwhelmed by the emotion, the crowds and the magnitude of the moment.

"You don't run for yourself, you run for your family, your friends, for your sporting community," he told Sunrise.

"For me I was running for the water skiing. I got word last night that I am the only competitive water skier in the world who ran with the torch. You also run for people who have been through hardships. For the couple of minutes that you've got the flame, you think about all that and al the good the Olympic Games brings to the world.

"A lot of trouble is put aside and lot of goodwill is built up - it's the one event in the world that does bring people together for peace, sport, co-operation and good fun."

 

Related links

Beretts blogs on protesters and carrying the flame!

Large crowds gather in Canberra - Y7 NEWS

Rival groups clash during torch relay - Y7 NEWS

 

View Flickr slideshow of the Sunrise coverage