Leanne Proves an Inspiration

8:30am Sunday 18th September 2011

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AN inspirational Crewe college student is one of the area’s front runners to carry the Olympic flame at the London 2012 Olympics.

Leanne Downie, who suffers from Crohn’s disease, has been nominated for the Coca Cola Future Flames initiative – a nationwide search for young people to carry the prestigious flame during the torch relay next summer.

Future Flames has targeted young people who use their passion in areas such as sport and physical activity, music and dance and community and the environment to spread happiness in their local communities.

the South Cheshire College student is being backed by friends, family and other students after bravely battling with her illness and raising funds for numerous charities at the same time.

Leanne, 19, spends most of her spare time organising fun events to raise cash to help people with Crohn’s disease as well as other cancer charities.

she is also a member of the North Midlands group of the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s disease (NACC).

Leanne said: “I feel really honoured to be nominated for Future Flames.

“I’ve always been a people person and try and help others in any way I can.

“I know what it’s like to have a debilitating illness and all the fundraising I’ve done has been my way of giving something back.

“People have been selected from up and down the country for this and hopefully if enough people vote for me I’d love to go all the way and carry the torch at such a fantastic global event.”

Leanne was first officially diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory disease of the intestines which is brought on by certain food types, when she was 15.

she suffered dramatic weight loss and other symptoms, which led to her being admitted to hospital where she underwent emergency surgery.

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