Dubai They are all young, enterprising and high achievers in their own right, but one thing that makes them extra special is their extraordinary contribution to society, which led to their selection as Olympic torchbearers from the region.
Simran Vedvyas, Jalal Bin Thaneya, Elham Qasimi, Hassanain Anwar, David Butorac and Robert Swift have been selected by the Olympic Committee as the elite few from the UAE to be part of the Olympic relay and carry the torch.
Simran, a grade nine student from The Millennium School, Dubai, is no stranger to global platforms as she has already travelled across two dozen countries speaking in global conferences as well as winning several awards.
At 13 she is the youngest from the region to carry the coveted baton and she says there couldn't have been a better reward all her efforts. "I was speechless when I first got the news and it is overwhelming to be part of such an elite club. I m specially excited because I am the youngest torchbearer," said Simran, who recently won the first prize for her environmental presentation at 2012 Global Youth for the Environment Forum, in Seoul, South Korea.
Carrying a message
Another young man, who is being recognised for his extraordinary contribution to the society, is Bin Thaneya, who has walked thousands of kilometres to raise awareness for people with special needs over the last five years. He says it is a perfect opportunity to carry his message on a global platform.
Hassanain, dubbed the ‘Edutainer', is one of the founders of The Republic, an online platform for UAE youth where they can hear of the latest events, university speaker sessions, and participate in chat forums.
Elham recently received global attention by becoming the first Arab woman to reach the North Pole. She is involved in several charities including Promoting Equality in African Schools and the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.
Swift, a marketing manager from etisalat and David Butorac, a renowned TV industry hero, also based in the UAE, were selected by Samsung for their social activities.
Nine people from the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, were selected.