Carrying the torch

He was nominated for his involvement in sport, while a student at the University of Birmingham. Mostafa played football and enjoyed swimming. He has trained to be a lifesaver and also tried sky diving.

Mostafa carried the torch for more than 300 metres in the Warwickshire town of Rugby, starting at historic Rugby School. "It was like a holiday, the schools were closed and the streets were absolutely packed with people waving flags," he says. "Running with the torch was amazing, it was lovely to be cheered along the route."

At the University of Southampton, Mostafa is studying tribology, the science of friction, lubrication and wear, and is working on its applications in the petroleum industry with Shell. He brought his torch on campus to show fellow students. It is 800 mm tall, weighs 800 grams and is made of an aluminium alloy, perforated with 8,000 circles, which represent the 8,000 torch bearers. In April, the torch was named the Design of the Year at a ceremony hosted at the Design Museum in London.