At the age of 102, Melanie Berger-Volle will carry the Olympic torch as high as she can, despite her fragile shoulder, to champion the values of friendship between peoples that she defended during her time with the French Resistance in the Second World War.
A \"woman in the shadows\" during the Occupation (1940-1944), Berger-Volle was thrilled to be chosen to carry the torch as it passes through Saint-Etienne on June 22 on its way to Paris for the start of the Olympic Games.
The weight of the torch has been a concern, but there was never any question of turning it down.
\"I've always loved sport,\" says the sprightly centenarian who until recently enjoyed an hour's walk a day.
Grandmother of gymnast Emilie Volle, who took part in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, she also wants to be a symbol for women \"who have fought to play sport like men\".
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Ex-French Resistance fighter, 102, set to carry Paris Olympic torch
cgtn.com
