Fifteen lucky people have been named to carry the Queen’s Baton through Tamworth on January 31 on its way to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
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The list includes people from all walks of life – from the young to the old, the sporty to the artsy.
One of the youngest on the list is Georgia Taggart.
The Tamworth High School captain was awarded the NAIDOC Young Achiever Award last year and is an active volunteer within the community.
Miss Taggart was unsure of who had nominated her but whoever it was holds the young leader in high regard.
“Georgia is an incredible young woman who excels in many different aspects of her life,” the nomination story for Miss Taggart read.
“Georgia consistently demonstrates friendliness, inclusiveness, modesty and a maturity beyond her years.”
One thing Miss Taggart knew was how thankful she was for the nomination.
“I have no idea who nominated me but I’m very grateful for them to nominate me. It’s been an experience already,” she said.
Miss Taggart will be joined by 3800 other Australians to carry the baton.
Names such as Glenn McGrath, John Williamson and Anna Meares – who was the first person to receive the baton from the Queen in March – are just a few notable names to carry the baton.
“Knowing that Anna Meares carried it, I was like ‘wow’. Just speechless,” Miss Taggart said.
“It’s a longstanding tradition that embraces and celebrates the Commonwealth’s diversity. To be a part of something that connects people, communities and cultures together [is incredible].”
After being nominated, Miss Taggart was required to fill out documents.
At the time Miss Taggart was in the middle of Year 12 and unsure if she’d have time to complete them all.
However, she quickly settled on completing the process and couldn’t be happier.
“It’s definitely a once in lifetime opportunity and I couldn't be more grateful or privileged to be a part of that,” she said.
Each batonbearer will complete a 200-metre section of the relay for which Miss Taggart had a game plan. “I think I might be jogging to make the most of it,” she said.
The relay’s route through Tamworth and community celebration details will be announced on November 17.
A full list of batonbearers are available at gc2018.com/qbr
Batonearers for Tamworth leg
George Barton
Troy Cassar-Daley
Rodney Hobbs
David Howells
Garry Kable
Anthony Earl Kelaher
Beau Mertens
Rowan Sanderson
Leigh Smith
Georgia Taggart
Wally Warner
Chris Watson
Matthew Willis
Richard Willis
Warren Wright