He was sitting at home alone when he heard the postie arrive for their daily delivery.
But this walk to the letter box would change Greg’s life.
“I opened the letter and I screamed,” he recalled.
“My wife Verna wasn’t home, and I honestly couldn’t believe it. It was one of the best things I think I’ve ever received in the mail.
“To this day, I still don’t know who nominated me to take part.”
The participating group who took part from across the district had given notable service to their community.
Greg had quite the impressive resume of his own, including being the curator for the Bamawm Tennis Club and serving as committee member for Bamawm Recreation Reserve.
He is also a life member and former president at the Lockington Bamawm United Football Club.
So, when he held the torch Greg felt like it was for all of the Bamawm community.
“The town is a great community-minded place and I wanted to represent those values,” he said.
“I lived there for 59 years so the town has played a major role in helping me become the person I am today.
“It was a privilege to be a Bamawm representative.”
While Greg still remembers most of the day clearly, one thing will always stand out from the rest of his memories.
“I’m not a spiritual person but there was just something about the torch,” he said.
“The sound of the flame was incredible; I could hear it roar next to my ear as I was running.
“My route was from the corner of Ogilvie Ave, where KFC now sits, to the Campaspe River bridge.
“I was caught in the moment when I was carrying the torch because I couldn’t feel my legs.
“Hearing people scream out to you was really special, it was a massive moment for our community.
“It was quite funny when I saw my friends and family because some of them thought I couldn’t run.”
Greg’s commemorative torch now sits proudly in his Echuca home. He's had his uniform framed - it hangs on the wall.
“You had to buy the torch, but I just couldn’t say no,” he said.
“It’s a piece of my life I’ll cherish forever. Seeing it every day brings back a lot of memories.”
“I’ll probably take it to the grave with me,” he joked.
Greg’s involvement in the torch relay also capped off a childhood dream he had held since 1956.
In the lead-up to the Olympics in Melbourne, his parents drove the family to Rushworth Rd, part of the torch’s journey.
“It was very different in those days because it was mainly athletes who took part,” he said.
“I was only eight at the time and I was just amazed by what I was seeing.
“A fire truck followed the relay putting out the spot fires so it was a little different to ours.”
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