Steven Cheung knows how lucky he is to have been selected to run with London's Olympic flame. But he is already thinking beyond that, with plans to auction his torch to aid China's Hope Schools, a charity project to help poor children.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to study in the UK, and I want to help other Chinese children who are less fortunate," said Cheung, who will carry the flame through the London borough of Waltham Forest on July 21.

Cheung, 22, was nominated as a torchbearer by members of London's Chinese community, for whom he is a role model.

As a radio presenter for Spectrum Radio's Chinese program and an active member of the BC Project, an organization that encourages British Chinese to vote, Cheung became the first British Chinese to receive the prestigious Princess Diana Award, in 2009, for his work in the community.

The desire to help also motivated Cheung to stand for the 2009 European Parliament election at the age of 19. Although he lost, he saw it as a "learning process" and has already decided to run for the next election.

Another factor that makes Cheung a suitable torchbearer is his volunteering work. Since 12, he worked to ensure youth representation for the Games and a plan for the Olympic legacy. "The Olympics is my baby. I've seen it go from a brownfield site to what it is now," he said proudly.

Despite such hard work, Cheung still felt a little surprised when the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games told him that he had been selected to run with the flame.

"I didn't expect to run with the torch, I expected some celebrity to do it. But me? What's that all about? It came as a shock," he said.

To prepare, Cheung is currently exercising to lose weight and stay fit. "I don't want to embarrass China. I don't want to be the youngest torchbearer from China, who suddenly fell over and put out the flame or something."

The torch relay makes him feel closer to China, he said, since Beijing was the last city to host the Olympics.

"The Beijing Olympics showed the world what China is capable of. As a young British Chinese, I'll continue to develop links between Britain and China."

Like many Chinese emigrants, Cheung felt extremely homesick when he first arrived in Britain with his parents at the age of 12. "I didn't want to come at all," he said.

Suddenly, Cheung was less able to speak his mother tongue, watch his favorite TV programs or find any familiar food. Moreover, he was bullied at school. "They called me Chinaman, chinky and all that sort of thing," he recalled.

Cheung asked his mother for help, and mother and son together made Chinese food to share with the other schoolchildren. Cheung's classmates slowly came to accept him. Such memories motivate him to do as much as he can to help China and Britain understand each other better.

After the torch relay, Cheung will travel through about 10 Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, to exhibit his torch before auctioning it off. He will also hold cultural exchanges with Chinese youth.

"China is still home for me," he said. The journey to help his home country gain global understanding and acceptance has just begun.

Contact the writers at cecily.liu@chinadaily.com.cn and zhangchunyan@chinadaily.com.cn