Do You Believe in Miracles? This Torchbearer Does

Andrea Harris was one of 52 torchbearers selected to carry the Olympic Flame from Yorktown, Virginia to Lake Placid, New York, for the 1980 Olympics. "This particular torch relay journey was a first in the history of the Modern Games and continues to be the only torch relay team that ran as a team from the start of the relay (Yorktown) to the arrival in Lake Placid," she says.



In her post, she tells about her group of torchbearers, and how they have kept in touch.

...the greatest thrill was standing inside the Olympic Stadium as we watched our fellow torchbearer, Charles M. Kerr, light the flame that began the XIII Olympic Winter Games. As we stood beside the Olympic caldron and doves were released, the ceremony was breathtaking.

And yes, we had the opportunity to see all the events, including Eric Heiden’s monumental capture of 5 gold medals and 4 Olympic speed skating records. And who can ever forget the 1980 “Miracle” American Hockey Team? I was there. I saw the game. I met the team and congratulated them as they received their medals.

Our torch relay team became the “darlings” of Lake Placid. We were chosen to exemplify “the Greek ideal of the whole person’ and the spirit of the Olympics. The Village of Lake Placid and Olympic tourists connected with our contagious enthusiasm during a time when the world was shaken with concerns not unlike those of today.

Do you believe in miracles? she asks. I do.

Lake Placid is celebrating the 30th anniversary of those 1980 Olympic Games, with a weekend of activities that includes showing our movie, Small Town, Big Dreams: Lake Placid's Olympic Story in a double-header with Miracle - with the STBG filmmakers Marc Nathanson and Scott F. Carroll in attendance and 1980 hockey player Buzz Sneider.