A teenage skateboarder will be one of the Olympic torchbearers when the 2012 relay comes through Trowbridge in May.

James Threlfall, 18, of Conway Crescent, Melksham, did not know he had been nominated for the honour until he received an email informing him he had been shortlisted.

Mr Threlfall, who is one of the country’s top skateboarders and runs his own online skate store, said: “It’s really exciting. I wasn’t expecting it at all, because a friend didn’t tell me he had nominated me.

“I got an email, saying I had been shortlisted, and then an email saying I had got it.

“It’s going to be amazing. I’m really hyped up about it. My brother is on the Great Britain team for triathalon and he’d ideally love to go to the Olympics one day. I think 2016 is his aim.

“Ever since doing athletics as a kid, I’ve always loved it and I’m really hyped it’s coming to London, just to have it in the country.”

Mr Threlfall will carry the torch, which is making its way across the country ahead of the London games, on part of its route through Trowbridge on May 22.

However, he has not yet been told which stretch of the relay he will be running.

His friend, Miles Goodspeed, had put James’s name forward, in recognition of all the work he does in the community to promote skating.

Mr Threlfall volunteers to run the Wiltshire Skate Series, a not-for-profit skating competition, and also teaches in primary school and youth clubs.

He is also involved in the campaign to revamp Melksham Skate Park.

Mr Threlfall said: “Miles did it without telling me. I got this email, saying he had nominated, and said to him, ‘What’s this you’ve done?’. He said, ‘Oh yeah, I did that ages ago.’ It’s really surreal; it’s that big a thing.”