A FROME woman, who spends her time working for a charity in Mexico City, has been nominated by the British Embassy to carry the Olympic torch at next year’s Olympic games.
Philippa Vernon Powell, has worked in Mexico for nine years with street children and child protection services, which led to her current post as field director for New Life Mexico, a charity focusing on improving the lives of deprived youths in Mexico City.
Philippa said, “Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine I could potentially carry the Olympic torch. I am honoured to be considered worthy of the nomination and delighted that New Life Mexico’s (NLM) field work has been recognised by our embassy.
“So far I only have a nomination, I won’t find out if I have been selected until December. If I do get selected I will be running in the South West of England.”
Philippa splits her time between the UK and Mexico. She said, “NLM remains wholeheartedly focused on enhancing the most vulnerable children’s lives.
“NLM is working with children in “community kids clubs” and sports programmes. The clubs are aimed at working kids and kids at risk, both boys and girls, aged 9 to 12 years old (primary school grades 3 to 6), as NLM sees them as the most vulnerable to the risk of joining gangs and drug cartels.
“The aim of the clubs is for them to be fun, in addition to helping children develop their full potential through positive, social, emotional, physical and intellectual experiences. It provides a stable, secure and relaxed club where children want to come and lose themselves from their daily stresses of living in deprivation. Hopefully I can raise the profile of this charity. It may focus on children in Mexico, but the majority of my fundraising events are held in England.”
Philippa’s nomination will now go before a judging panel to see if she will be one of the 8,000 torchbearers next year.
