Name: Danica Kindrachuk

Hometown: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Carrying Torch: Moose Jaw

Age: 18

Torchbearer #: OTR073-037

Danica Kindrachuk is the president of her city’s Youth Advisory Committee, a group of youth who make recommendations to city council. She led the initiative to encourage city hall to undergo an audit of its environmental practices. Her group has had the city’s engineering department consider implementing tax rebates for those subscribing to a recycling program. They also secured funding for the city to build a walkway at a busy intersection to promote greener lifestyles and physical fitness.  Another suggestion made was to have more recycling facilities in her city. Recently, a new recycling depot has opened.

Kindrachuk has also just completed a letter on behalf of the Youth Advisory Committee, which has been sent out to numerous restaurants and businesses in her city that inquires about these businesses’ environmental practices. The committee will analyze this information and make recommendations to city council as to what policies the city should implement or enforce. The committee is also looking into making their city a ‘no plastic bag’ zone and planting more trees. In addition, Kindrachuk has motivated her parents to subscribe to a special recycling program and co-founded an environmental team at school. She has raised over $600 for the NCC and attended a provincial environment summit. Kindrachuk believes environmental apathy is not an option.

Name: John Fortune

Hometown: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Carrying Torch: Moose Jaw

Age: 55

Torchbearer #:OTR073-041

John Fortune has lived his life playing and coaching sports. He encourages others to play sports and is a curling coach at his high school. He also coaches football. Through his experience, John has seen that coaching as a participant is preferable to coaching as a by-stander. The kids learn better when he is active with them.

John also volunteers as a trainer to the local AAA midget baseball team and offers  medical coverage for high school football, volleyball and basketball. John says he is happy to help with any sport that needs coaches. John is willing to work hard to overcome his lack of natural ability to excel in the sport . John believes that the most important part of sport is to have fun.

As a retired member of the Canadian Forces Medical Service, John believes that physical fitness and activity is necessary to help everyone in their daily lives. He is proud to be a Coca Cola Olympic Torchbearer.

Name: Jenna Smith

Hometown: Swift Current, Saskatchewan

Carrying Torch: Swift Current

Age: 17

Torchbearer #: OTR073-105

Jenna Smith is a 3rd year female AAA Hockey player and she plays in the Saskatchewan Female hockey League for the Swift Current Wildcats. She has played hockey since she was 4 years old and is hoping to one day to be on Canada’s Olympic Team. Her team is ranked as one of the best in the country. Last January, her team won the gold medal at the  prestigious Mac’s AAA invitational tournament. This meant we were the best in Western Canada. After she graduates from high school, she hopes to go on to play college hockey and one day become a lawyer.

Jenna’s oldest brother Scott is in the Army and in October he deployed for Afghanistan.  Jenna is looking forward to sending him a tape of her Coca Cola Olympic Torch run.