Cameron so proud to carry torch

AMONG THE 8,000 select runners taking the Olympic flame through the UK as the country prepares to host the 2012 Olympic Games are 23 Fifers.

Chosen for their inspirational stories of overcoming adversity, sporting prowess or helping others, the Fife torchbearers will have their moment to shine in towns and countries across Scotland as far afield as Maybole in Ayrshire.

Following in the footsteps of three-times Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie, who began the relay on Saturday, will be bearers from as young as 13-year-old Joe Forrester, of St Andrews, who is already training for his dream of one day running for Team GB, to 60-year-old Jack Smith, of Aberdour, who has brought community spirit to Loanhead, where he is a head teacher.

Other Fifers selected from 60,000 nominees by the London 2012 organising committee include Cameron Warner (35), of Dunfermline, who was chosen for the honour for refusing to let cystic fibrosis hold him back from some of the hardest endurance events in Europe.

The condition clogs internal organs with a thick, sticky mucus, making it hard for sufferers to breathe and digest food but Cameron has the Ben Nevis Triathlon, Lochalsh Ultra Marathon and Caledonia ETAPE, to name but a few, under his belt as he has striven to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

But perhaps the investment director’s proudest moment was overcoming fertility problems caused by his condition to become a father last June.

Cheering him on from the sidelines as he carries his torch through Cairneyhill on June 13 will be his wife Margaret and their daughter Poppy, who will be just days away from her first birthday.

Cameron said: “It’s a real honour firstly to be nominated and secondly to be selected from the many, many nominations received.

“There are so many inspiring stories and all of them sound far more deserving than me but I’ll happily join them. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. “People will be coming from far and wide to watch and I think it will be a real carnival atmosphere.”

There are plenty of other tales of bravery among the Fife torchbearers.

David Hilton (20), of Glenrothes, survived three brain tumours and now helps others facing similar ordeals.

As a young volunteer speaker for Macmillan Cancer Support, student David devotes much of his free time to spreading the word about how the charity can help those fighting cancer and encouraging people to raise money for the vital cause.

Snowboarder and fitness fanaticwilliam Black (25), of Dunfermline, fought a rare, life-threatening condition to return to the slopes and now devotes considerable time and effort to raising awareness of the charity which helped him, theanthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust.

William had a bone marrow transplant and gruelling course of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis – or HLH – a disease in which uncontrolled growth of activated white blood cells stop the body’s immune system from working properly.

Sheila Filsell (57), of Coaltown of Balgonie, donated two-thirds of her liver to save her daughter, Dr Susan Filsell.

When the high-risk, live liver transplant was performed in February last year it was only the second time such an operation had been conducted in Scotland. Mother and daughter have since worked to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation.

Stories of sporting excellence also abound.

Disabled runner Maurice Paterson (30), of Newport, has won medals at 800, 1,500 and 3,000 metres and is a black belt in karate.

Swimmer Mark Szaranek (16), of Glenrothes, hopes to one day compete for Team GB in the Olympics, having represented Scotland and Britain in the Commonwealth Youth Games and Europeanyouth Olympics last year.

Another Olympic hopeful is two times British youth fencing champion Callum O’donnell (20), of Dunfermline.

Picture: David Wardle. Cameron has raised money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust by taking part in events such as the Ben Nevis Triathlon.