A COMMUNITY champion from Royston has been chosen to carry the Olympic flame.

Mandy Jinkerson, from Poplar Close, is one of 7,300 torchbearers whose names were revealed this week for the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay.

The 46-year-old mother of two will represent the town - which has not been included in the 8,000 mile route - during the Hemel Hempstead leg on Sunday, July 8.

Responding to the news, Mandy, a member of the Royston Runners, told the Crow: “I’m over the moon. When I heard I’d been nominated it was completely out of the blue.

“To actually be selected is a real honour as I’ve never done anything like this before.”

Mandy, who works at the Tesco Extra in the town as a community champion, was nominated by colleagues Sandra Ridley and Theresa Maishman who put her forward in recognition of her community and charity work.

Last year Mandy ran the Great North Run and the London Marathon for Addenbrooke’s Hospital’s Oncology Unit, 12 years after being diagnosed with cancer of the womb.

“We nominated Mandy because she is so unassuming in her role as Tesco champion,” said Sandra, who has worked alongside Mandy for more than a decade.

“She’s always dealing with children and old age pensioners, as well as doing charity work through her running. She’s always helping others and we thought it would be nice for her if she was chosen.

“She doesn’t put herself in the limelight despite battling cancer and she just gets on with things. She’s so chuffed that we had considered to put her forward and we were chuffed when we found out she’d be chosen.”

Fellow Royston resident Sue Miller has also been selected to carry the flame. The 70-year-old will be involved when the torch goes through Letchworth GC earlier on July 8.

In total, 8,000 torchbearers will take part in the relay which runs from May 19 to July 27, with more names to be revealed in the coming months.

*Have you been named as a torchbearer? If so, email news@royston-crow.co.uk