Confirmation of intention to attend Pre Final Leg events

 ARE YOU COMING TO ATHENS AND ROME?

In July this year, we published an Expression of Interest in travelling to Athens for the Flame Lighting Ceremony and/or Rome for the Papal Blessing of the Flame of Hope in the lead up to the commencement of the Final Leg on February 27.

60 team members responded to that EOI with 10 indicating that they would not attend either event, 43 indicating an intention to be in Athens and 50 indicating an intention to be in Rome.

The link below will take you to the list of responses to that request:

We now need to finalise the list of attendees.  It is completely understandable that some of you may have committed to attend one or both of the events, but are now having second thoughts (or perhaps have not put any further thought into it).  

Likewise, it may be the case that some of you did not respond in the first instance but are now thinking about attending.

THIS IS YOUR ONE AND ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE AT THESE EVENTS!

For the sake of clarity, here is an excerpt from the July EOI Post relating to timings:

The first opportunity is to attend the Flame Lighting Ceremony in Athens.  

This ceremony has taken place prior to the Final Leg for over 20 years.  It is arranged and managed by Special Olympics Hellas (Greece) and is held in one of two locations - the Acropolis or Zappeoin Hall, both in Athens.

In 2023, the Flame Lighting Ceremony was held at Zappeoin Hall.  For the first time since 2003, Final Leg Team members were able to travel to Athens and participate in the event (which included a Torch Run out of the Hall)

The second opportunity is to attend a mass where Pope Francis will bless the Flame of Hope.  To our knowledge, this will be a first for the Torch Run.

The mass will be held in St Peter's Square within Vatican City in Rome on  Wednesday, 26 February 2025, commencing at 9.00am.

If you've been paying attention, you may have realised that the timings for these two activities are very tight.  All Final Leg Team members need to be in Turin by the afternoon of Thursday, 27 February 2025 with the first Torch Run scheduled just 2 days later.  If you are thinking about participating in either or both of these activities, you should do so in the full knowledge that you'll have to manage your travel arrangements well.

A quick check of the Skyscanner website shows just two direct flights from Athens to Rome on the afternoon / evening of February 25 - Aegean at 4.25pm and ITA at 7.25pm.

If you travel to Athens, you will have to leave for the airport immediately following the Welcome Ceremony at the Italian Embassy if you want to be in Rome for the Papal Blessing (which starts at 9.00am on February 26 in St Peters' Square).  You would have a bit more time following the blessing - you could stay in Rome on the nights of February 25 / 26 and catch a direct train to Turin on the morning of February 27.  The train journey takes about 5 hours.  Flights are also available.

CONFIRMING YOUR ATTENDANCE

To confirm your attendance in Athens, Rome or both locations, you need to complete the Confirmation Form (click on the icon below).  This needs to happen quickly, so responses will be received up to Friday 6 December 2024.  If you fail to respond by that time, you will not be included in the event arrangements. 

If any of you have spoken to the 2023 Final Leg team members who were in Athens last year, you will understand that this is a very special torch run experience.

It's time to commit

Scott

Italy Planning Meeting Update

 Italy Site Visit Wrap-Up

TURIN, Italy - Greg, Kami and I wrapped up our site visit in Italy this past Sunday. To say it was successful is an understatement. We had the opportunity to visit most of our run routes and all of them are fantastic. 

As you can see from the photo above, the city of Biella received its first snow while we were there. The photo was taken at the start of the last run we will do. We will light the cauldron in the picture prior to us starting one of the best runs of the week. 

It is very important that you bring at least two pairs of running shoes. In fact, you may even consider a pair of trail running shoes due to the potential of snow and slippery conditions. 

Pictured above: Front Row - Italy athlete Alessandro Henry (Team 2) and Italy athlete Andres Spezzano (Team 7); Back Row - Sara Romano (LOC), Luigi D'Agostino (LOC), Italy Torch Runner Marzena Michalska (Team 2), Cristiano (SO Italia), Charlie Cremonte (SO Italia), Greg Dawson, Italy Torch Runner Andrea Coviello, Mark McCorkle and Italy Torch Runner Rudy Albano (Palo Vialardi arrived after photo & the other four had athletic events, or were working)

We were able to meet with four of the Italian Torch Runners and both Italian athletes. We provided them an overview of Special Olympics, the LETR movement and history of the Final Leg. They were all very attentive and seem genuinely excited about this opportunity. 

Travel Dates

We can now solidify the travel dates. Please watch your emails next week for the formal request for travel information to book flights. You will be asked to provide the following information: 

• Full name as it appears on your passport
• Passport information
• Date of departure from home
• Home airport code
• Destination Airport Code (Athens: ATH; Turin: TRN; Rome: FCO)
• Date of Return

Here are the travel dates:

Athens (For those attending the Flame Lighting)

24 February - Must arrive in Athens on or before this date. It is not necessary for you to attend the Flame Lighting rehearsal on the 24th; Team Leaders Diana Sanchez and Pete Sawyer will help coordinate with Torch Runners attending the Flame Lighting.

Rome (For those attending the public Mass and Papal Blessing)

25 February - Must arrive in Rome on or before this date in order to attend the 0900 Hours public mass on the 26th in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. Papal blessing of the Flame to follow.

Turin

25 February - All Logistics Team Members must arrive on this date to begin acquisition of vehicles and materials; setup

26 February - All Team Leaders must arrive on this date

27 February - All Torch Runners and Athletes must arrive on this date, no exceptions. You will be met at the airport by members of the Logistics Team and transported to the hotel.

10 March - Released from Final Leg duties to return home or continued travel 

Pre/Post Final Leg Travel

All of you are welcome to arrive early, or stay beyond 10 March to travel and sightsee, however this will be at your own expense. The NH Hotel has agreed to extend a discounted rate to Team members who wish to arrive early or stay late in Turin. Once the hotel contract is signed by the LOC, we will provide direction on how to secure those extra days at the NH Hotel.  

Team Zoom Meeting

Next week I will send a link for an All-Team Zoom Meeting. This will be a very comprehensive meeting to provide as much detail as possible and answer all of your questions. If you are not able to attend, the meeting will be recorded for viewing later.

Running

I know this is repetitive, but I cannot emphasize enough the need for all of you to train, including some hill training. My primary reason for harping on this issue is that I want all of you to enjoy this experience. If you are not physically prepared, it can take much of the enjoyment out of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Please, please, please don't hesitate to ask questions.

Talk to you all soon!

 

DELIVERY OF YOUR UNIFORM KIT

Work is currently underway to complete the embroidery and screen printing of the Final Leg Uniforms.  Once complete, the delivery process will commence.

Based on your home location and whether or not you are travelling to Athens prior to the Final Leg, your kit will be delivered to you in a different way.

US & CANADA BASED TEAM MEMBERS

If you live in the US or Canada, your Final Leg Uniform Kit will be shipped directly to you prior to your departure for the event.  It can be shipped to your home address or a work address - the choice is yours.

You need to complete the Shipping Details form as soon as possible so that we can provide the uniform supplier with accurate address information to ensure that you receive the package.

Click here to complete the Shipping Details Form

Please note that a link to this form can also be found in the Team Portal

INTERNATIONAL TEAM MEMBERS TRAVELLING TO ATHENS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FLAME LIGHTING CEREMONY

Team members (not based in the US or Canada) who have committed to travel to Athens to participate in the Flame Lighting Ceremony will be able to collect their Uniform Kit upon arrival in Athens.  

Please ensure that you have considered the additional weight of the Uniform Kit in your luggage when making onward flight bookings.

INTERNATIONAL TEAM MEMBERS NOT TRAVELLING TO ATHENS

Internationally based Team Members who are NOT travelling to Athens for the Flame Lighting Ceremony will receive their Uniform Kits upon arrival in Turin.

Please note that this includes any International Team Members intending on being in Rome for the Papal Blessing (but not in Athens).  

We will let you know when shipping to US & Canadian Team members commences.

Planning Update - Here We Go!

 Major Planning News

TURIN, Italy - It was great seeing and meeting many of you at the LETR International Conference last week. It was an excellent conference with amazing speakers and great information. 

Greg Dawson, Kami Delameter (SOI) and I are currently in Italy on a Final Leg planning trip. As we had hoped, there are a number of significant updates to provide - FINALLY!

HOTEL - NH Torino Lingotto Congress Hotel

We are very excited to announce that the NH Torino Lingotto Congress Hotel will serve as the host hotel for the 2025 Final Leg Team. Greg, Kami and I toured the hotel Tuesday evening and confirmed it meets all of our needs for the Final Leg. It is a beautiful property with a number of outstanding amenities and very nice guest rooms. The hotel is centrally located in Torino, providing access to restaurants, shops, and local landmarks within walking distance.

The Final Leg Team has been extended a reduced rate during our official Final Leg dates, and the hotel has graciously agreed to offer that rate to team members who may wish to arrive early or stay late. Details on the rate and making those extended reservations will be available as soon as the contract with the hotel is completed. 

Running Routes

We have had the opportunity to review in person the running routes for Cuneo, Asti, Alessandra, Vircelli, and Novara so far. SO Italia has been extremely thoughtful in designing the routes, ensuring we are running through populated areas, and running with purpose. Many of the runs are across uneven surfaces, such as cobblestones, and there will be inclines and declines.

Greg and I cannot emphasize enough the importance of being in proper running condition when you arrive in Italy. The routes will not allow our buses to follow, which means there will likely be no "sag-wagon" for anyone who cannot complete a run. While we are certainly aware that an injury could occur, there is no legitimate reason a team member should fail to complete a run due to poor physical condition. When a runner must stop, it requires a Team Leader to stay with that runner until we can send transport to retrieve them. This circumstance not only takes away from the runner's experience, but the experience for the Team Leader and the entire team.

Remember, we will be running in the Italian Alps, so please incorporate hill training (hill repeats are perfect) in order to be prepared. Again, we want everyone to enjoy the entire experience.

Flights 

On or about 2 December, you will receive an email (and on the Blog) with exact arrival and departure dates. You may arrive earlier or stay later at your own expense, but you must arrive at the hotel on the date specified, no exceptions. 

You will then receive an email from World Travel requesting your specific travel information, including your departure and return airport codes, passport information and dates of travel. It will be imperative that you respond to that email as quickly as possible. Once you have provided that information, World Travel will send you a number of flight options. Once you have selected and confirmed your selections, your travel will be ticketed. You will then need to complete another form that provides the Final Leg Planning Committe with all of your travel information including all connecting flights. This information is crucial because our Logistic Team will be actively monitoring all flights to ensure your timely pickup from the Turin airport. 

Miscellaneous

When you receive your uniform kit, you will see that you have been provided multiple layers of clothing, and this is very purposeful. What we have learned in our few days in Turin is that the air is very damp, meaning that 36 degrees Fahrenheit (2.2 Celsius) feels much colder. When we run, the Management Team will make a determination after conferring with Team Leaders on what the uniform for the run will be. It will be essential for all Team members to have all of their uniform pieces available. If one person does not have a hat, no one wears a hat. We will always be uniform. 

For those who may have limited or no experience traveling in Italy, the photo below is not meant to shock you but provide you with a realistic expectation for men's and women's restrooms. This is very typical of what you'll find in public areas. Some restaurants will have a full toilet, but many will have what you see below.

For any of you that may have played catcher in baseball or softball, you will be putting those skills back to work again!

We were very excited for this Final Leg before we arrived in Italy on Tuesday, but I can tell you with 100% confidence that I am even more excited now. Can't wait for all of you to be here and experience it. We are going to have a great time spreading the word of acceptance and inclusion throughout the Piedmont Region of Italy!

Ciao!!