He’s the only Irish man carrying the Olympic torch to Rio 2016…
13-year-old Irish teenager Mark O’Brien carried the Olympic torch on a leg of its relay towards Rio last night.
Mark, from Dublin, has had the dream of carrying the torch ever since the London 2012 Olympics and it became a reality for him last night.
When dreams become reality ? 13-year-old Mark O'Brien carries the #OlympicFlame, a dream he's had since 2012! pic.twitter.com/pf8oBmXSFT
— Rio 2016 (@Rio2016_en) July 29, 2016
A keen athlete, Mark proved the value of persistence as he wrote letter after letter to various Olympic committees before a letter he sent to Carlos Arthur Guzman, the President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, earned him the honour of bearing the torch.
A moment the youngster will never forget…
?? Mark O'Brien wanted to carry me in #London, but he was sick! 4️⃣ years later, his dream became reality #RoadToRio pic.twitter.com/gQdVm0UnlQ
— Olympic Flame (@OlympicFlame) July 28, 2016
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