I WANTED to take the opportunity to thank all the many people that came out to see the Olympic Torch and cheer the torch-bearers on in Southampton .

I was bowled over by the fantastic support from everyone; the atmosphere was incredible, everyone seemed so happy and excited, there was such an atmosphere of community spirit, Southampton coming together to celebrate the torch and the impending Olympics .

I feel like the luckiest woman alive!

It was a moment I wanted to last forever and it will, in my heart and mind. The camaraderie and support of the other torch-bearers on the bus as we travelled around Southampton was superb and the stories I heard of people’s experiences and achievements was incredibly humbling.

It was an incredible honour to carry the Olympic Torch.

About seven years ago my husband, Chris, died after a 14 month battle with bowel cancer. A year after he died I made the decision to run the Race for Life in Southampton to raise some money for Cancer Research in Chris’s honour and memory. I followed a beginner’s training plan for six weeks and during that time I started developing a love for it. It made me feel alive again.

I ran my first marathon in Paris a few days before my 40th birthday, and then jumped out of an aeroplane a few months later to raise £1,400 for the Countess Mountbatten Hospice in Southampton, where Chris spent some time.

Since then I haven’t stopped!

Carrying the Olympic Torch was a celebration of all that I have achieved and of all the family and friends who have encouraged and supported me along the way.

It is also a symbol of hope and courage and achievement for anyone else out there who is struggling at the moment.

I have memories to treasure forever; thank you to everyone who helped create those for me.

GILL ROSE, Olympic Torch-Bearer no. 94 on the Southampton leg.