Louis Holt is a lucky guy.

The Marion High School junior was able to meet, and even become pals, with U.S. Olympian Lopez Lomong during a recent cross country camp at the Air Force Academy.

Lomong, however is no ordinary, if it’s possible, Olympian.

Lomong was elected by his teammates to carry the United States flag this past weekend at the 2008 Olympic opening ceremonies in Beijing, China.

Lomong, a naturalized American citizen from Sudan, was abducted by militia and later thrown into a refugee camp at age six, where he remained until he was adopted 10 years later by a family in upstate New York.

Today, Lomong is part of “Team Darfur,” which raises money and awareness for those affected by genocide in the African country.

Lomong taught Holt and the other campers about taking nothing for granted, using their abilities to their best, helping others, and enjoying life.

A friend of mine told me he thought it was “stupid” that a naturalized citizen carry the flag.

However, I think Lomong’s story is what makes America great.

It is the land of opportunity, and Lomong, perhaps better than anyone, knows what it means to be an American.

As I watched Lomong proudly carry the flag with a big grin and probable rapid-beating heart, it felt good to be an American.

It also reminded me of a report I recently read that supposedly proved the “six degrees of separation theory.”

It said, on average, every person in the world can be linked to another person by six degrees, with one person equaling a degree.

With Holt’s opportunity to get to know Lomong, he has connected tiny Marion with an inspiring Olympic athlete by just two degrees.

Marion has indirectly been in the national news recently in other ways as well.

Joseph Hall won the Elvis Presley contest at Marion’s 2007 Chingawassa Days, and has hit the big time since then, reaching the semi-finals of NBC’s hit reality show, “America’s Got Talent.”

This past week Marion native and New York Giants (who are now the San Francisco Giants) baseball player Charles “Victory” Faust was mentioned on a segment of ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”

A memorial to Faust is located at the Marion Baseball/Softball complex.

While those two stories are interesting, they don’t compare to Lomong’s.

The 23-year-old has a story of inspiration, hope, and desire to never give up that will live on forever.

I’ll be rooting for Lopez Lomong. I hope that all of Marion will be as well.