Maximus Furlong selected for 2015 games torch relay. Submitted photo

Prince George, B.C. – A young man who quite unwittingly displayed a greater understanding of humanity than many is going to get to do something that his mom says he will never forget.

Yesterday, when the 2015 Canada Winter Games officials unveiled the names of 127 people who will carry the games torch across northern BC, right there on the list along with the others was the name Max Furlong. Now if you haven’t heard about Max, he is the Foothills Elementary student who last May was taking part in a relay race at Masich Place stadium. After running his portion of the race he handed things off to his teammate Sam Huck, who had never run a race of any type before because of a debilitating physical affliction. Completely on his own, Max ran with Sam, encouraging him along the way all the way to the finish line. Triumph!

The team that selected the group of torchbearers for the games obviously thought the youngster’s actions warranted a place on the torch relay. Max’s mom Stacy says they actually learned that Max had been selected back on September 19^th “but we had to sign something saying we wouldn’t tell anyone until October 3^rd.” She says Max has known about his selection as long as his parents have, but had to keep it quiet.

“He’s so excited but he doesn’t, like how do you tell people hey I’m a torchbearer? I told the secretary at school so I know she’ll make sure the principal finds out so then they can make sure they look in the papers because there will be pictures I’m sure. They did a big group picture at City Hall of the people that showed up.” Was Max there? “Ya I pulled him out of school, said he had an appointment.”

Max gave me a shout when he got home from school Friday afternoon. So how did you manage not to say anything about it? “I just tried to forget about it”, said Max, who added his mom explained it to him. How do you feel about being picked to carry the torch? “That’s pretty cool, not too many people get to do that.”   Have they told you just where you’ll be running with the torch? “No I’m not sure where I’m going to be doing it.”

We asked Max if he knew why he got nominated to be on the torch team. “I think so. For running with one of my other classmates.” Asked why he decided to run with Sam, Max says “I just felt like I should do it.”

Asked about her son being selected to carry the torch for the games Stacy says “I’m honoured, I think it’s fantastic, it’s the chance of a lifetime for him and he’ll have this memory for the rest of his life. We’re pretty honoured. It makes me teary-eyed.”