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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Olympic Spirit: Tom Francois, a part-time security officer with Xilinx, was nominated and will be sponsored by the company when running with the Olympic Torch through downtown San Jose on Jan. 18.
Let the games begin for WG man
Campbell resident is selected as torchbearer
By Moryt Milo
Next month Utah will bring the 2002 Winter Olympic Games to the world, and the stories of individuals who triumphed over adversity to compete are always part of the games.
But before the games begin, the stories of torchbearers, who embody the Olympic spirit, will be told. They will carry the Olympic torch relay as it winds through the country on its way to Salt Lake City. The torch relay will go through most states in the country.
In Campbell, that torchbearer is 60-year-old Tom Francois, who will be carrying the torch to honor fellow amputees.
Francois, who lost his leg below the knee last March, endured 12 unsuccessful surgeries within seven months for a circulatory problem in his right leg, before doctors told him amputation was his only option.
Francois says, "The acceptance of the [Winter Olympics] nomination really touched me. More than anything I thought, 'Gosh this would be a great opportunity to honor other amputees.'"
For Francois, carrying the torch and wearing the Olympic outfit--a sweatsuit, T-shirt and hat--is especially meaningful after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
He sees the Olympics as another way for Americans to demonstrate their patriotism and "ability to bounce back from calamity and tragedy and go on with their lives."
Bouncing back from life-changing events is exactly what Francois was forced to experience before Sept. 11, but through "hard work, faith and attitude" he has turned his own difficult, life-threatening situation into a positive experience.
Since his amputation, Francois says his life has been transformed.
"I have a greater appreciation for lots of things, since this happened--friends, family, blue sky, sunshine, even dirt on the ground. What used to be important, whether it was the car taking a dive or the washing machine not working, are no longer a big deal. These are all things that can all be fixed."
Reflecting back on the last year he says, "So many people have it worse than me. This situation has allowed me to do more mentoring, go to churches and schools and share my journey with people and other amputees."
He says many amputees transitioning through the difficulties of losing a limb get in a chair and then they become depressed and give up. Francois doesn't believe it has to be that way and wants to help other amputees go forward with their lives.
It's Francois' positive outlook and gregarious personality, that "made him an immediate choice," says Ann Duft, public relations manager for the tech company Xilinx.
Xilinx Chairman of the Board Bernard Vonderschmitt was asked by Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt if Xilinx wanted to privately sponsor torchbearers for the Olympic Winter Games. The company approached Francois, who works as a part-time security officer for Xilinx, about carrying the torch.
Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
On the Run: Tom Francois had his right leg amputated last March 25, referred to by Francois as his "day of freedom." Married for nearly 40 years and with five grandchildren, he has no intentions of letting his prosthetic slow him down.
Duft says, "His character alone merits the honor of carrying the torch. He has gone through such trauma and hasn't lost his spirit."
"When I first realized I was accepted as a torchbearer I was a little anxious and thought, 'Holy cow, what an honor! I hope I don't fall flat on my face,'" Francois says.
But falling flat on his face is not part of Francois' mindset. Even when he was discussing with his prosthetist, Dr. Jim Breakey, what he wanted his new foot to do, Francois keep taking his goals to the next level.
"First I just wanted to walk," he says. "Then I got a little more ambitious and said I'd like to be back on the racquetball court, fish, drive and dance."
Today he does it all, and having a prosthetic leg hasn't slowed him down a bit.
Francois, who has lived in his Campbell home for 40 years, is a member of the Campbell City Planning Commission and a member of the Campbell Police Reserve. He is also considering a run for city council this fall.
He is one of 11,500 torchbearers nationwide who was chosen from a field of more than 200,000 publicly--and privately--sponsored nominees. He was selected because he exemplified the inspirational spirit of the Olympic movement.
The torch relay--a pre-games run custom revived in 1936--will travel more than 13,500 miles across the United States in 65 days, with this year being the first time the Olympic torch travels through 46 states.
The torch's journey begins at its home in Greece, then travels to the site of the 2002 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and then makes its way through hundreds of towns and communities throughout the country before reaching its final destination in Salt Lake City, Utah.
There a final torchbearer will carry the torch into Salt Lake's Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony on Feb. 8.
When Francois runs his two-tenths of a mile--the equivalent of one lap around a track--through downtown San Jose, Jan. 18, his torch will stay lighted for 27 minutes as he passes the flame to the next member of the relay team.
His wife, Carol, children, five grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, friends and coworkers will be there cheering him on.
As Francois anticipates the excitement of Friday's event he says, "I'm very flattered and very honored. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen to me."
The Olympic torchbearer relay will take place in downtown San Jose on Jan. 18 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event can be viewed in front of the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, on Almaden Boulevard. Torchbearers will travel down Park Avenue. For more information, call 408.277.5144.
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Campbell, California
