Rhyania's torch moment: Another Hackney Community College student carries the torch

Posted 25th July 2012

Rhyania Blackett-Codrington is an inspirational young woman. She has turned her own life around and is helping others to make the best future possible. Thousands came out in the morning of Thursday 26th July 2012 to watch her proudly carry the Olympic torch along Upper Street to the Town Hall in Islington and pass the flame to comedian David Walliams in front of the Islington crowds and the world’s media.

Rhyania’s mother nominated this inspirational young lady to be a torch bearer: _“My daughter Rhyania has completely turned her life around from her teenage years and in doing so has done everything that she can to help the young people in her community. She has gone from being involved in the wrong crowd at 14 to first, helping disadvantaged youths at mentoring schemes such as Dalston Youth Project (where she worked with the director on the film ‘Bullet Boy’ – she is actually given a special thanks on the films credits) and Mentoring Plus to teaching in male prisons, to completing two degrees (whilst being a single mother) to become a secondary school teacher trying to help the lives of inner city young people. She is truly inspirational.”

Rhyannia, aged 29, has studied a number of courses and achieved a string of qualifications at Hackney Community College. “It’s the best” she said. “Hackney Community College has helped to make me what I am today. I would recommend it to anyone.” She worked hard at the college to get her education back on track. She then aimed high and prepared for her degree with an Access to Higher Education course. Now a qualified teacher, she has returned and undertaken a number of courses at HCC, most recently British Sign Language.

Rhyania walked her stretch of the route, waving non-stop to the crowds of thousands of well-wishers who had turned out in the early morning to watch her proud moment.

Rhyania has generously offered for her torch to be held at Hackney Community College until her son is old enough to take charge of this amazing memento of her day in Olympic history.

Rhyannia was featured in the National Portrait Gallery’s Road to 2012 exhibition (Click the link to see Rhyania, and other images from the exhibition. Link goes to an external website)

Rhyania is the second Hackney Community College student to carry London 2012 Olympic Torch. On Saturday 21st July, Alpha Kamara ws a torchbearer in Hackney. Read about Alpha’s journey here