MOST parents would put their feet up and enjoy some peace and quiet when given a break from the kids.
But the thought of relaxing with a cuppa couldn’t be further from the mind of father-of-three Mark Pagett when he gets some downtime.
Instead, Mark, an engineer at NTCE in Cranfield, spends his spare time and almost every weekend indulging his passion for sport and, more specifically, American football.
A member of Birmingham Bulls for a quarter of a century, Mark now acts as the first division club’s head coach and treasurer.
So away from his as a member of the Research and Advanced Engineering team, he can usually be found taking training sessions, shouting instructions from the touchline or managing the club’s finances.
And his commitment to the club runs so deep he even takes responsibility for washing and maintaining the kit.
Despite that, he still finds time to live a very active family life with wife Katie and his three beloved kids.
It’s this dedication to his sport and the community spirit it demonstrates that saw Mark nominated by a colleague to carry the Olympic Torch on its journey to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
He has been chosen as one of the ‘Nissan Nine’ and will carry the Olympic flame for approximately 200 metres through the city of Belo Horizonte – the City of Beautiful Horizons – as part of its 95-day, 36,000km journey that will be seen by an estimated 90 percent of Brazil’s population.
He will be cheered on by wife Katie who will accompany him on the unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Speaking ahead of the trip, an excited Mark said: “I’m very proud to have been selected and honoured that someone took the time to nominate me.”
He added: “It’s an amazing feeling knowing that I’ll be participating in something so special and will be the only person on the planet at that time holding the torch.
“It’s an incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Meet another member of the Nissan Nine on Nissan Insider next week.
