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• • Mid-Missouri Native Coordinates Olympic Torch Relay
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  • Mid-Missouri Native Coordinates Olympic Torch Relay

LONDON - It took this year's Olympic torch 70 days start to finish to reach London and the Olympic cauldron. But it takes a lot of work to organize that journey. Well wouldn't you know, the man behind this year's torch relay is a mid-Missouri native.

Josh Luetkemeyer graduated from Fatima High School and has been coordinating the Olympic torch travels every years since 2002. He's been on the road traveling with this year's flame since May 19.

KOMU 8's Jim Riek talked exclusively with Josh over the phone from London, just a few hours after he was in the stadium watching the opening ceremony and the torch finish its journey.

Luetkemeyer said the torch relay is a group effort and everybody has to be on top of their game every single day. "It's always tricky, you put the smile on your face and make sure that it is changed 1,000 times in those 70 days and they did it, [it takes] fantastic focus to make that happen, Leutkemeyer said.

We also asked Luetkemeyer what he would like to say to his family and friends thousands of miles away back in mid-Missouri. "I'd like to say I miss you guys a bunch, [it's been] a long trip, sorry I haven't called home in a while but it's been crazy days. I hope you enjoy the opening show as much as I do on TV and i'll see you guys real soon," Leutkemeyer said.