Five Romanians will carry the Olympic torch for Romania this year, part of the 70-day journey which will start in UK on May 19. Bogdan Cismariu, Adrian Hădean, Marius Radu, Cristina Bogdan and Cătălin Stelian have been selected in the campaign called “Passions that change lives”, because of the impact of their work on society and their communities.

Bogdan Cismariu runs a school for mountain guides and helps others discover gems of the natural world. Adrian Hădean runs a nutrition program for kindergarten children and has helped many go for healthy food choices. He is also a cooking blogger. Marius Radu works as a volunteer with young people passionate about IT, coordinating an education program about the benefits and risks of video games. Cristina Bogdan is a teacher and volunteer who coordinates an anthropology program based on rigorous research. Cătălin Stelian is a theater actor who often plays pro bono and makes efforts to convince people to invest in theater in Romania.

The five winners have been chosen by Samsung, which is a worldwide partner of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Samsung's global ambassador for London 2012 is football player David Beckham. The torch will go through 1,000 cities and provinces, on some 8,000 miles across the UK. The torch will arrive on the Olympic Stadium in London on July 27. 8,000 inspirational people will carry the Olympic Flame as it journeys across the UK.

The London 2012 Olympic Games will take place between July 27 and August 12. The budget for the London Olympics is GBP 9.3 billion ( just over EUR 11.2 billion ) and the cost of hosting the games has already accounted for a lot of column inches and much parliamentary debate in the UK. The London Games will be the 30th modern Olympiad and the third time the British capital has hosted the four-yearly competition. The Games have been canceled three times due to war- the sixth Olympiad during World War One, and 12th and 13th Olympiads during World War Two. So although this year will be the 30th Olympiad, it will only be the 27th time the games have been held in the modern era.

editor@romania-insider.com