LAUSD teacher chosen as Olympic torchbearer
Volume 12, Issue 7 - April 2008
By Dave Earl Carpenter
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| Eric Burke runs the Olympic torch through the streets of San Francisco |
Six months ago Eric Burke, a teacher at Luther Burbank Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District, had no idea he’d be running through the crowded streets of San Francisco as a torchbearer for the 2008 Olympics — or that he’d be in the midst of a “Free Tibet” protest. A few months before, his wife Stefani set it all in motion when she wrote a 200-word essay nominating him for the “Ambassador of Active Living” award sponsored by Coca-Cola. We met up with Burke to talk about the event.
So this all began with an essay?
That’s right. It was my beautiful wife, Stefani, who nominated me. She wrote a short essay about my accomplishments in the community working with predominantly inner-city kids through Outward Bound Adventures and at the schools I’ve worked at, which were Virgil Middle School and currently Luther Burbank Middle School. Stefani was watching TV one night, and a short advertisement came on about this contest sponsored by NBC and Coca-Cola to find “ambassadors of active living.” They were looking for people who’ve inspired others in their communities to live more active, healthy lives. She got it in her mind that I’d be perfect for that. They advertised that the winners would carry the Olympic torch through San Francisco.
What was it in the essay that you think caught the eye of the committee?
Well, my job at Luther Burbank allowed me to work with the organization Students Run L.A. The program’s primary focus is to have students set smaller goals to accomplish greater ones. Our end goal is to run and complete the Los Angeles marathon.
How many students generally participate each year?
That’s a two-part answer because what we start with is never what we end up with for the marathon. On average, if we start with about 30 students, we’ll end with about half of that — quite an impressive number, especially for middle school students.
That’s an incredible number of students willing to run a marathon.
It is. I’ve trained all the way down through sixth grade. To have sixth-graders out there running the marathon, that’s pretty amazing.
How did you get involved with Students Run L.A.?
Another teacher and I established a group of SRLA runners at Virgil. The program had already been in the district for more than 12 years, so we just helped get it going at that school. And when I transferred over to Luther Burbank, I found that the program had been abandoned, so I took over and got it started again.
Were you a runner from a young age?
I didn’t even know about marathons until I was out of high school. Growing up, I was always active in soccer, track, wrestling and rugby — you name it, I was out there doing it. But I didn’t think about running marathons until I was out of high school. My dad started running them and asked me to participate with him. It was part of my helping him to stay sober. He was a recovering alcoholic and running was his new addiction. So I was there to support him.
What do you like best about the program?
So much of it is challenging kids to set small goals leading to larger goals. One of the great fringe benefits is that they learn to work with adults outside of the classroom, which is important. When they see that they’ve committed to something like this, they usually start improving their grades and their attendance, and they begin paying more attention in class.
You were one of six chosen for this contest, right?
That’s right. There were six of us chosen in this national contest. And the others were selected by the city of San Francisco and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Were you nervous about the protests that were predicted?
No, I wasn’t nervous at all. It was clear months before the event that there would be protests.
They had to reroute the torch relay, right?
Yes. The original relay was supposed to be about 15 miles, but as the date neared and there was talk of large protests, they cut it to eight miles, then six. On the day of the relay they cut it again to three miles. I was also given a partner because of the decrease in distance. As we headed out to the relay, the mayor changed the route about 2 miles away from the original one to avoid the large crowds of protesters and ensure our safety. Since the public was unaware of the change, there initially weren’t any police barriers or big crowds. People were surprised to see us and were able to walk right up and shake the torchbearers’ hands. However, by the time my partner and I were let off the bus, which drove us to our positions along the route, protesters were coalescing in the streets. Others were cheering us on. There were a few thumbs down here and there but mostly people were cheering. A Chinese official ran alongside us with a key and unlocked the gas canister in our torch moments before it was lit by the oncoming torchbearers — and off we went.
How did it feel to be a part of this huge affair?
[Laughs.] I had the hugest grin across my face. I couldn’t stop smiling. It might seem kind of shallow, but my first thought was, “Wow, the flame from the torch feels a lot hotter than it looks!”
What was the crowd like then?
Most of the people were cheering. There were a few people that ran up with their “Free Tibet” signs — they were real troopers because they had to run from the original route. There was a lot of cheering. Actually, there were a couple of water balloons launched our way in an attempt to put out the flame.
And that didn’t bother you?
No. I think it’s excellent that people can go out and protest! It’d be ridiculous and un-American to tell people they couldn’t speak their minds. What was troublesome to me was that we were unable to contact anyone about the changes made at the last minute, and those who were left out of the event were our friends, family and other well-wishers who came to see us run. I feel the protesters and torchbearers accomplished their purpose that day and they received widespread media coverage. But there could have been room to accommodate spectators as well. In the end, I’ll always be thankful for this unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
