Rebecca Hodson '04 Carries Olympic Torch

June 21, 2004

June 21, 2004, Greencastle, Ind. - Less than a month after graduating from DePauw University, Rebecca Hodson '04 has had a hand in something historic. On June 17, Hodson and her guide dog were in St. Louis to carry the Olympic torch as part of the cross-country Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay. An article in the Journal and Courier of Lafayette, Indiana, notes, "The flame was rekindled in March in Olympia, Greece. The torch was flown to Sydney, Australia, and started its travels last Friday. It will go through six continents before coming to Nicosia on July 8. It will be used for the Olympic Games' opening ceremonies on August 13 in Athens and continue to burn through August 29."

The story, which was published June 10, states, "Hodson, 21, is a Lafayette resident working this summer in Virginia... Hodson and her guide dog, Harris, will walk 400 meters in St. Louis. 'I hope I don't drop the torch,' said Hodson with a laugh. 'This is a real honor. It will be fun.'"

Kathy Nimmer, who taught Rebecca Hodson at Harrison High School, nominated her to carry the torch. Bob Scott writes, "Hodson has been blind since her premature birth. She said her personal role model is Nimmer, who also is blind and was in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Torch Relay. They met when Hodson was a sixth-grader at Klondike Middle School. 'Kathy has been a positive inspiration and great role model for me,' Hodson said. She praised Nimmer for helping her cope with the frustrations of being blind. 'I never feel sorry for myself. I can't get down,' Hodson said. 'It does get frustrating to ask for directions or have to get rides to go to the grocery store. It is the hand I was dealt. I've accepted it.'"

The article continues, "Hodson graduated from the Indiana School for the Blind. Recently, she received a bachelor's degree from DePauw University in music and communication. 'You have to fight for what you want as a disabled person,' she said. A few weeks ago, Hodson moved into an apartment in Alexandria, Virginia, where she accepted a marketing job.

Nimmer, who calls Hodson "pure inspiration," wrote in her nomination letter: "Through it all, Rebecca embodies the ideals of a society committed to positive change. She shows how 'difference' is only a word, and how 'possibility' is a cornerstone. This young woman is on her way to changing the world."

 

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