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Rick Nichols | Jesse Preston

Golden First United Methodist Church is proud to have two individuals from our congregational community who participated in carrying the Olympic Torch for the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah -- Jesse Preston and Rick Nichols!
Above Left: Jesse Preston carries the Olympic Torch and flame in Grand Junction, Colorado. Above Right: Rick Nichols carries the Olympic Torch and flame in Boulder, Colorado.

	RICK NICHOLS Rick Nichols is the son-in-law of Golden First UMC members Bob and Virginia Gidley! The torch was handed to Rick near Boulder's Chautaqua Park at 3:46 p.m. on the afternoon of January 30, 2002, and he ran from there! Left: An Olympic "handoff" -- one torch lights another as the flame makes its way to Salt Lake!
Please Note: Rick Nichols passed away on May 30, 2002. We keep Rick's family and friends in our thoughts and prayers.	Rick was nominated because of his ongoing tenacity in the face of cancer. Rick had been at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas, for specialized treatments immediately preceding these photos.

Right: An estatic Rick Nichols carries the Olympic Torch on a blustery Colorado day! Far right: A proud wife cheers her man!

Jesse Preston		JESSE PRESTON Jesse Preston is the son of Golden First UMC's Linda and Randy Preston! Jesse carried the Olympic Torch on the afternoon of February 2, 2002, in Grand Junction, Colorado. Jesse is a student in Grand Junction attending Mesa State College. He was nominated because of an inspirational recovery from a life-threatening injury in which the prognosis was that Jesse would never again play competitive sports. Amazingly -- and against all odds -- Jesse now plays football for Mesa State!

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Last Revised: June 10, 2002.