A Monmouth woman will be lighting up the streets of Monmouth when the Olympic torch comes to town.

Emma King, who is again running the London Marathon in memory of her friend Jamie Gunn this summer, has been chosen as an Olympic torchbearer.

The news came as something of a surprise to Emma, who had been nominated by the owner of King's Fee Spar.

"I am really chuffed about it but was not expecting it at all," she said.

"Ron asked if it was ok to nominate me but I didn't give it anymore thought after that.

"To have the chance to carry the torch is quite awesome.

"All I know is that I am doing it on Friday 25th May when the torch travels from Worcester down to Cardiff, I haven't been given any more details than that."

The honour will come a month after Emma is hoping to have completed her third London Marathon in as many years.

She does this in memory of Jamie Gunn, a close friend of hers who died in Afghanistan in February 2009 serving with the Rifles.

To date, Emma has raised more than £7,000 for ABF The Soldiers' Charity and hopes to raise this total to £10,000 by the time she crosses the finish line on Sunday 22nd April.

Emma runs all year round, and has been a member of the Spirit of Monmouth Running Club for two years.

She is also captain of Monmouth Netball Club, but steps up her physical efforts even further to get herself ready for the marathon.

"I need to be hitting about 30 miles a week soon and a lot more closer to the time," she said.

There will be collection tins at King's Fee Spar and in the Beacon office for anyone wishing to sponsor Emma.

You can also go online and donate at justgiving.com/emmaking2012

• While some are celebrating after being chosen to carry the Olympic torch, others have been left disappointed.

A Monmouth woman, who does not wish to be named, wrote to the Beacon to express her feelings.

"I am writing to you not just to express my own disappointment that my son was not chosen to be an Olympic runner for Monmouthshire, but also that so many of the 16 and other who were on the Monmouthshire shortlist were left off the final list," she wrote.

"Only two were chosen and while I congratulate them, I feel it is a shame the county should not have proper representation from its own talented young people.

"We were all (my son and the rest of the family) very shocked that after the warm and detailed nature of the letters once they had been appointed to the shortlist, they were ommitted.

"Presumably, the other 16 must have felt the same.

"In short, I think that Monmouthshire has been shortchanged and 16 young people led up the garden path.

"Perhaps the organisers have forgotten what it is to be young and optimistic."