Ashley Muir, a psychology junior at Loyola, was among the 30 people who carried the Olympic torch through New Orleans. Muir carried the torch Dec. 9 from Lee Circle to Erato Street.According to The Times-Picayune, the torch began its American journey in Atlanta on Dec. 4 and will arrive Feb. 8 at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.Muir has had rheumatoid arthritis in both knees since she was two years old. “I’ve been through a lot of surgeries,” she said. Many of her doctors did not believe that she would ever be able to walk, Muir said. Muir was nominated to carry the torch by her aunt, Brenda Conlee. Conlee said she likes the Olympics, and she knew that the torch relay was an important part of the ceremonies.”She’s had a rough life with her arthritis,” Conlee said, “and I thought she was deserving of carrying the torch.”The Salt Lake Organizing Committee, Coca-Cola and Chevrolet received more than 210,000 torchbearer nominations in March and April 2001. Only 11,500 of those nominated became torchbearers.Because of these numbers, Conlee didn’t think Muir would be selected and even forgot that she sent in the nomination. “Around October, I received a bunch of papers in the mail that said I was selected as a potential torchbearer,” Muir said.The papers had instructions for her to check a Web site in November to see if she was selected as a torchbearer.When Muir first checked, her name wasn’t there. A few weeks later, however, she received more papers and her wind suit in the mail. “I guess they forgot to put my name on the Web site,” Muir said. All torchbearers were able to keep their wind suits and accessories, and they had the option of buying their torches. “People that were nominated on the basis of overcoming hardships or having a lot of accomplishments were sometimes sponsored by private corporations,” Muir said. “Coca-Cola ended up buying my torch that I carried.”We don’t get any money or medals,” she said. “But it is such a great honor.”