A Tauranga runner has followed in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II by carrying a torch for a global peace movement.
Lydia O'Donnell, 24, was chosen as the torch bearer for the Tauranga leg of the world's longest, largest grassroots relay for peace, The Peace Run, which came to town yesterday.
The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run seeks to promote international friendship and understanding. Since its inception in 1987, the run has traversed more than 100 nations and touched the lives of millions of people.
"It's kind of crazy to get this opportunity ... It was really cool.
"It was an absolute honour to be a part of it," Miss O'Donnell said.