DURING his own short life, his ambition to help people saw him named a cancer research ‘little star’.

Now, the father of Jake Spicer knows the spirit of his late son will be burning as bright as the Olympic flame he will carry in honour of Greater Leys’ very own ‘OX4 soldier’.

Jake, a pupil at St Gregory the Great School, East Oxford, died on July 8, 2009, at Oxford hospice Helen House after a five-and-a-half year battle with a rare form of bone cancer, Ewing’s Sarcoma.

Almost exactly three years to the day, his dad Michael Spicer will be pounding the streets of Oxford with the Olympic flame held aloft – a celebration of the charity work he and his son undertook.

Mr Spicer, from Shepherds Hill, Greater Leys, discovered he had been selected at the end of last week. He said he hoped the route would take him past the final resting place of his son, Wolvercote Cemetery, North Oxford.

He said: “It feels brilliant.

“I know Jake would be as pleased as punch. It’s recognition of everything we’ve achieved. He will be looking down and watching. He’ll be laughing his head off too, but he’ll be so proud.”

Jake’s mum Lesley Spicer added: “It’d be good if the route takes Michael past the cemetery.

“Jake would be at the edge of the road, supporting him all the way.”

Mr Spicer is one of 50 people to be announced as torch bearers yesterday.

Joe Robinson, 21, from Thame has also been selected, but he will carry the torch through Theale, in Berkshire.

In 2009 the then pupil at St Edward’s School, Oxford, was left fighting for his life after a car crash which killed friend and fellow passenger Grace Hadman, 17.

Mr Robinson made a miraculous recovery and set about raising as much money as he possibly could for the Oxford Children’s Hospital through sponsored cycle rides and abseils by way of thanks.

He said: “I’m so excited about it. I don’t know what is going to be going through my head, it’s overwhelming.”

Badminton-mad teenager Jade Brathwaite, from Wantage, was also selected.

The 17-year-old county champion said she was extremely nervous.

She said: “There are so many people who are so talented to have been picked.

“It’s amazing and a wonderful opportunity to be part of 2012.”

Former British Olympic gymnast Suzanne Dando, who competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, will carry the torch through Abingdon. She said: “It’s a real honour and lovely to have a second ‘Olympic experience’.

“I think my legs can manage 400 metres, I hope.”

She added: “I might even throw a cartwheel or two!”