Exhilarating’ – The Labradorian

July 20, 2015

It’s an opportunity given to select few at an international sporting event and a man with Labrador roots was lucky enough to be one of those few recently in Toronto.

Rob Lackie — originally of Happy Valley-Goose Bay — was one of 3,000 runners who carried the torch leading up in the lead-up to the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games which got underway on July 10.

Lackie, who now lives in Toronto, was one of 16 torch bearers from the Canada’s largest city.

He carried the torch down part of Yonge Street on July 8.

It’s hard to put into words how he felt while carrying the flame,” said Lackie.

“It was exhilarating. I was thinking of where I came from. I was being so proud to represent the Inuit. I was the only one from Nunatsiavut. There was another (torch bearer) who ran for Nunavut.”

Both Lackie and his sister were adopted to non-Aboriginal families at birth. He was raised by a family in Ontario while his sister was adopted by an American family.

“I didn’t have any culture or traditions or the language growing up,” said Lackie. “So that part of my life has been missing and slowly I’m trying to get it back.”

Read more: http://www.thelabradorian.ca/sports/2015/7/20/_exhilarating_.html

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