BROOKHAVEN — A picture sits on Dr. Ray Montalvo Jr’s desk at KDMC’s Primary Care Clinic as a reminder of his Olympic moment. The photo captures the early morning darkness, the torch’s orange glow warms the cheeks of the Brookhaven resident as he ran in Lake Charles, Louisiana. 

It was a moment which connected Montalvo Jr. to the 2002 Salt Lake City games and every Olympic event since then. He has always been a fan of the Olympics but he pays attention to the torch, relay and lighting the flame. 

“It brings those memories back,” Montalvo Jr.said. 

His torch is at home now. He had the opportunity to buy it after he completed his relay leg’s two tenths of a mile course. The propane canister which keeps the flame burning was removed. 

Montalvo Jr. picked up the torch in Lake Charles on the morning of December 9, 2001 in memory of his step father Charles Moore who had died in October 2001. It was Moore who was supposed to run in the relay. He said his mom called the olympic committee who told her any family member could run in Moore’s honor so she called Montalvo. 

“I got up at 4 a.m. to carry the torch and I started running with it at 5 a.m. It was really neat,” Montalvo Jr. said. “They had people lining the roads. People from the community were out there, my family was out there. It was really neat to experience that little aspect of it. It was really gratifying. It makes you proud to be a part of this country and to be able to do that.” 

A great moment

The 2002 Olympic Torch relay covered an estimated 13,500 miles, with 12,012 torch bearers, 300 communities were visited in 46 states. It came on the heels of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. 

Montalvo Jr. said he could not recall exactly what the mood was in the country leading up to the winter games after 9/11. He did say everyone was a little more patriotic. 

“I saw a lot of American flags on my route. It was a great experience for me and my family,” Montalvo Jr. said. 

He admitted his 0.2 mile time did not set any records as he settled into a regular jogging pace. The torch was a little heavier than a football but not too cumbersome. His torch weighs about three pounds, he said. 

Passing the torch

Montalvo Jr’s story is an American one. His father Ray Montalvo Sr.was an immigrant from communist Cuba who came to the United States after Fidel Castro rose to power. Montalvo Sr. owned a few businesses in Cuba which were seized by Castro’s government. 

His dad was a strong athlete and captained the tennis, sailing, rowing and swim teams at Graham Eckes Preparatory School in Florida. Montalvo Sr. died in 2022 leaving behind a rich legacy. 

“He is always on my mind. He had to start life over again after leaving Cuba. He had to start over and be a provider,” Montalvo Jr. said. “We are making sure we accomplish something with our lives. One thing he also instilled in us is no matter how small the election is, to get out and vote. Always be involved. I tried to instill that in my kids. You need to get out and vote and know who you are voting for.” 

Montalvo Jr. said his favorite Olympic sport is swimming while his wife Julie’s favorite sport is track.

“I swam growing up and our swimmers are such great athletes. I admire how they carry themselves and all they have done. I have enjoyed watching our athletes,” Montalvo Jr. said. “We are not like other countries who are on a payroll for their specific sport. They have to find other ways to support themselves to train.”