Queen's Baton Relay: Greg Kellett adds another relay to his list

Just like for the 2000 Summer Olympics torch relay, Kellett wasn’t on the original list of bearers for the Queen’s Baton Relay.

But, just like in 2000, Kellett was a late inclusion and on Wednesday, January 31 he will with the Queen’s Baton down Peel Street.

Kellett said it “fit in really well” that both honours came after he thought he’d missed out.

“These opportunities don’t come along all the time so you grab them [when they do],” Kellett said.

“The same thing happened when I carried the torch in 2000.

“I think they named 5000 [torchbearers] to start with, then they decided to add another 1000 and I was lucky enough to do that, too.”

Kellett has been involved in a range of sports over the years and is currently Tamworth Veterans Cricket president.

Knowing what it’s like to take part in one of these relays, Kellett is making sure as many of his friends and family are around to experience it with him.

“I described it [being a torchbearer] at the time, it was like being at the birth of my children. You just floated,” Kellett, who has family coming to Tamworth to watch him run, said.

“I remember I passed the torch to Roshani Priddis and Roshani ran two legs, about 900 metres or something like that.

“When she got on the bus, I said ‘how'd you go?’ and she said "I could have run to Gunnedah" that's what it was like.”

After the Queen’s Baton Relay goes through Coonabarabran – between 9.34am and 10.11am – and Gunnedah – between 12.22pm and 1.50pm – the baton will make its way to Tamworth.

The leg will start at 4.51pm when Wally Warner does the opening section before the baton passes through 16 pairs of hands in total with Troy Cassar-Daley running the last leg at 5.27pm.

The Tamworth leg of the relay starts at Riverside Park before heading down Carter Street, taking a left over the bridge and then a left again on Kable Avenue.

The relay then loops around onto Peel Street where it runs all the way down to Roderick Street before turning back onto Kable Avenue and finishing at the Tamworth Regional Playground.

RELAY SCHEDULE

4.51PM

Wally Warner

4.54PM

Rodney Hobbs

4.56PM

Georgia Taggart

4.58PM

Richard Willis

5.01PM

Matthew Willis

5.03PM

Anthony Earl Kelaher

5.05PM

Chris Watson

5.08PM

Garry Kable

5.10PM

Warren Wright

5.12PM

George Barton

5.15PM

Greg Kellett

5.17PM

Leigh Smith

5.20PM

David Howells

5.22PM

Rowan Sanderson

5.24PM

Beau Mertens

5.27PM

Troy Cassar-Daley

5.30PM

Community Celebration