Thummel

Torch turns teacher into hero

Educator will run Olympic flame through South Sound

MICHAEL BURNHAM, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Saturday, January 19, 2002

TENINO -- Arms crossed, hands on chins, all 350 sets of little eyes on the teacher -- with barely any fidgeting.

This is the kind of rapt attention that elementary school teachers only dream of.

But Jeff Thummel is no ordinary teacher. The Parkside Elementary School physical education and social skills teacher is one of 52 runners who will carry the torch of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games through South Sound on Jan. 23.

The relay will stop in Salt Lake City for opening ceremonies on Feb. 8.

Although Thummel taught every single third-, fourth- and fifth-grader who crowded into Tenino Elementary School's gymnasium Friday, word is the spiffy Olympic windbreaker and torch had something to do with his sudden celebrity status.

"Don't think of me as being special because I get to carry the torch," Thummel said amid frequent bursts of rock-star applause. "Anyone in this room could have been nominated."

But third-grader Connor Reeves and his mom nominated Thummel for inspiring children to run for a good cause.

Through the Run for Fun and Jog-A-Thon programs, Parkside youths have raised between $5,000 and $7,000 for their school.

"A lot of those computers over there are a direct result of these efforts," said Tenino student teacher Leanne Bergford.

It isn't just about charity; Thummel said his students love to run for recognition.

For each 100 laps the students run, their names are posted on a wall chart. Some passed the 500-lap threshold, and, all told, Thummel's students ran more than 1,000 miles last year.

"He sets the bar for them, and they go for it," Bergford added.

Fourteen Tenino Elementary students -- chosen because they exemplify good sportsmanship -- clutched a 5-foot-tall papier mache torch and jogged around the gym Friday.

The mock torch relay, which was set to the music of "This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land," inspired lots of cheers.

Connor Reeves walked the torch down the homestretch toward Thummel. He passed the torch and hugged his hero.

Thummel will jog past Saint Martin's College with the real, icicle-shaped Olympic torch just after 1 p.m. on Jan. 23.

"I'll try to go as slow as I can," Thummel told his eager fans.

No doubt about it -- lots of little eyes will follow.

Michael Burnham covers Olympia for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-704-6869.

Coming Sunday: A complete guide to watching the Olympic torch as it travels through South Sound. Coverage will include a detailed map of the route and other information about the torch relay.

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