When the Olympic torch travels through Tennessee this weekend, a student from Greenwood will be helping to carry it along.
Sterling Kidd, 17, will carry the torch two-tenths of a mile in Jackson, Tenn., Saturday morning.
The route began in Atlanta Dec. 4 and will end when the Winter Olympics begin in Salt Lake City Feb. 8.
Kidd said his aunt, Kathy Burns of Memphis, nominated him to be a torchbearer as part of a promotion by Coca-Cola.
Participants were asked to nominate people who inspired them.
Kidd said his aunt told him that she had sent the nomination and that he might be receiving something in the mail. But he didn't think it would happen.
"I said 'OK,' and I appreciated it, and I didn't think much about it after that," he said.
Then in late summer, he was notified that he had been selected. So now he and his family will go to Tennessee on Friday after school is out and spend the night.
Then, Saturday morning, they will go to the starting point for his run.
The running part won't be a problem for Kidd, who has handled much longer distances. He has been running since sixth grade, competing in cross-country runs, 1-mile and 2-mile runs and relays.
But this event will be more leisurely, and he said he'll run at the pace dictated by the time schedule.
"I'll just try to take it slow if that's what they want me to do," he said.
Nationwide, more than 11,000 people will carry the torch a total of 13,500 miles.
Kidd is the son of Dean and Catherine Kidd of Greenwood.
