The Wanted surprise Future Flames

Coca‑Cola and pop sensations The Wanted last week surprised three exceptional young people, as they handed the teens invitations to carry the Olympic Flame during a Christmas shopping trip.

The three Future Flames, who each have a burning passion that brings happiness to others, were suddenly stopped on London’s Carnaby Street and given the good news by the band.

Alongside hundreds of other youngsters around the country who have been offered the chance to carry the Olympic Flame, Emma Martin, Ben Cunliffe and Elodie Lafosse will now need to confirm acceptance of their place in the Olympic Torch Relay with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), before the final Olympic Torchbearers are confirmed by March 2012.

Emma, a keen netball player aged just 17, coaches a young junior squad and devotes nearly all her free time to it.

" I’m incredibly excited to be chosen as a Future Flame and to have made it through to the final stages to become an Olympic Torchbearer. I can’t believe that The Wanted told me in person! Being a Torchbearer is a great honour. I love sport and in particular netball – I can’t wait to tell the girls I coach the good news!” – Emma Martin

Ben Cunliffe, a qualified rugby referee and tennis coach, coaches five to 10 year olds in his local community every week. At 17 years old, Ben feels he has benefited infinitely from playing sport and wants to show others how important it is for their physical and intellectual wellbeing. “The Olympic Games is the biggest sporting event in the world and now I’m one step away from being part of it,” he says. “I can’t describe how excited and grateful I am to Coca‑Cola for selecting me as a Torchbearer. As a massive tennis fan I’m really excited about seeing the best players competing for an Olympic medal.”

Meanwhile, Elodie Lafosse, also 17, said: “Being selected by Coca‑Cola and The Wanted to be an Olympic Torchbearer is unbelievable. The Olympic Games are so exciting and now I’m one step closer to being part of it. It means so much to me. I teach dance to young children so I’m going to work with them to produce a special Torch Relay dance!” Elodie works with children aged from three to 10, helping them to learn how to express themselves through dance. Since her sister passed away from leukaemia aged five, Elodie has hoped to go into hospitals and give children affected by illness the opportunity to take part in the same activities as their friends.

"We sat on the judging panels, so we know how hard it was to pick the final Torchbearers from all the fantastic Future Flames stories that were submitted. But it was amazing to see the look of pride and happiness on the faces of the Torchbearers when we handed them their invitations to carry the Olympic Flame next summer. So many brilliant young people slip under the radar, but today some of the most exceptional young people in the country are getting the recognition they deserve.” Jay McGuiness – The Wanted

James Quincey, President, Coca‑Cola Northwest Europe and Nordics, commented: “We have been overwhelmed by the thousands of outstanding nominations that we have received as part of our Coca‑Cola Future Flames campaign this year. It’s been truly inspiring to learn about the many different ways young people are spreading happiness in their local communities, and we’re very excited to now be offering some of these people the once in a lifetime chance to carry the Olympic Flame next summer.”

Altogether, 8,000 inspirational people will take part in the Olympic Torch Relay between 19th May and 27th July 2012. Each Torchbearer will run one leg of the 70-day journey – approximately 300 metres – as the Olympic Flame moves up and down the country. The Flame will come within a one-hour journey of 95 per cent of the population of the UK, visiting over 1,000 communities along its route.