On Saturday, September 2, 2000, Mr Windsor was one of a host of Bathurstians given the special honour of carrying the Sydney Olympics torch as part of its visit to the Central West.

It was Day 87 of the 100-day torch relay and Mr Windsor said it was an experience that brought his whole family together.

"It was, firstly, such a wonderful family time," he said.

"Kerryn and my children - Meg, Dean and Blair - were the perfect age for us to share in it all but the torch flame brought my extended family and friends together as well. It was an amazing time.

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"On my run I got to share the experience and pose in front of the First Australians' flag.

"It was a time when the whole nation came together to support Cathy Freeman. We all felt the pressure she was under and that Opening Ceremony was a real awakening."

Following Mr Windsor's leg, he passed the torch to "King of the Mountain" Peter Brock - and it's something that Mr Windsor will never forget.

"I have raced many times on Mount Panorama on the bike and running," he said.

"It's a special place for me but obviously Brocky hyped everything up for my torch run with huge crowds gathering at Mount Panorama.

"I had a great time with Brocky on the day and we actually worked out a little dance routine when we passed on the flame.

"We were not supposed to but he was Peter Brock. He was Bathurst royalty, so who was going to stop us?"

Betty McSpadden, who carried the torch a day later on September 3, remembers her experience fondly.

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"It was good. I had family from all over NSW here," she said.

"You had to be nominated and I was shocked when I found out."

Former Olympian Wyatt Thompson was the man to light the Olympic cauldron in Bathurst on the evening of Saturday, September 2, assisted by 14-year-old Elissa Stewart from Mudgee.

The other Bathurstians to carry the torch on its two-day stop in the city (it eventually departed on September 3) were Peter Balsom, Robert Barlow, Mary-Joy Booth, David Carroll, Peter Cole, Peter Dixon, Natalie Green, Graeme Hanger, Robbie Lee, Dick Locke, Andrew Pardey, Mervyn Parlett, Christopher Roe, Helen Roesler, Joseph Sullivan and Arnold Willott.

Bathurst native Candice Falconer (nee Poole) also carried the torch, but not in Bathurst, while then Kelso High student Laura Locke (nee Parkes) carried the Paralympic torch in Sydney.

Former Bathurst Olympians who carried the torch on other days of the relay included Brian Booth, Ian Cooke and Sue Cope.

The Olympic torch's visit also coincided with the 2000 Bathurst Edgell Jog, which was won by Harrison Jamie in a time of 23 minutes and 21.

Every time the Olympics roll around, it's a special moment for Peter Cole.

He was one of the lucky Bathurstians that carried the Sydney Olympics torch when it made its trip through Bathurst on September 2-3, carrying it from the corner of Spence and Busby streets to the corner of Torch and Rocket Streets.

While there'll be no Olympics in 2020 - this year's event was meant to be in Tokyo in July and August but has been delayed to 2021 - Mr Cole said he's full of adrenalin when it's on.

"The fire still burns my belly," he said.

"When that time of year comes and the Olympics Games are on, I sit back and still have that adrenalin still running through me."

Mr Cole carried the torch on September 2 - the first day of the torch's visit to Bathurst - receiving it from Joseph Sullivan, who took great delight in running with the Olympic torch from Vine Street to Spencer Street.

"Joe Sullivan - he use to be in show society for years - ran up Havannah Street and to Spencer Street and gave it me," he said.

"I then run from the corner of Spencer and Busby Street, down past Ben Chifley Cottage, along Bant Street and up to BP service station.

"I had to stand there and wait and wait and wait. They didn't want the torch to come in early, it had to be on time.

"Wyatt Thompson ran it on, but thankfully they hadn't extinguished my torch. So I got off the road, with the torch still going, and stood under the street sign for Torch Street. Someone ended up getting a photo of it."

Archive copies of the Western Advocate from September 4, 2000, also share the memories of the big day for the torch bearers, including Robert Barlow and Helen Roesler.

"It was just fantastic, I'm just about to cry," Mr Barlow said 20 years ago, after he was handed the flame from Anglicare's Peter Gardiner.

"It was bigger than I thought - just seeing all the different people that I knew."

He said the feeling was amazing as he ran towards the crowd lining the Mitchell Highway.

Ms Roesler - who carried the torch up Rocket Street and down Havannah Street - described her experience as better than her wedding day.

"Dreams do come true," she said in the Advocate in 2000.

She had carried photos of friends that had been through the "tough times" with her in a special pouch during her torch relay segment.

With strangers crowding the streets on what was a rainy and miserable day, Laura Locke experienced something she won't forget anytime.

On October 17, the then 16-year-old Kelso High School student had the special privilege of carrying the Sydney Paralympic torch down Military Road in Cremorne.

She was one of only a few Bathurstians to carry either the Paralympic or Olympic torch outside her home town.

And being so nervous for the big day, she took extra precautions to make sure she didn't embarrass herself in front of everyone.

"I bought shoes that didn't have shoelaces, so I didn't trip over," she laughed.

Regardless of the poor weather conditions on the day, Ms Locke said it was an amazing experience.

"Graeme Hanger brought a bus load of my school friends down to watch and I thought that was going to be it," she said.

"I actually ran past Redlands and the whole school came out, lining the streets and the overpass.

"Graeme Hanger ran down the street yelling out that my name was Laura and that I was from Bathurst, so when it was my turn to run, [the students] were screaming and shouting my name."

Ms Locke she was nominated by her PE teacher Ric Bolus and was one of just 100 students around Australia that were picked to carry the Paralympic torch.

She also played plenty of sport in the past, at club level and for her school.

"I went to state athletics champs in year 12, represented Western region in soccer," she said.

"Softball, tennis, cricket, anything really."