2012 VOLUNTEER GAMES
MAKERS
In early 2010 I applied to be one of the 4000 volunteer
medical team serving the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics. Two years later
after lots of encouragement from Eddie Izzard, Boris and Seb Coe, training
sessions, uniform fitting and fun I walked in to the incredible Olympic Park
and started work in the Basketball Arena and the Medical Unit, followed by the
Paralympics in Greenwich Park and the Main Stadium. The Park itself was stunning, beautiful
landscaped gardens, wild flower meadows and marvellous sculpture, even The
Orbit was amazing standing underneath or inside it. State of the art Athletes Village
accommodation, medical centre and stadia, most of which will remain for the
community.
The 70,000 strong
volunteer Games Makers were everywhere
in their distinctive maroon and red uniforms, singing, dancing, telling jokes,
high fiving in their huge bright pink foam hands, helping people find their way around the
park, in the trains, tube stations and shopping malls. I took hundreds of photographs of spectators
with the Park in the background, wearing a jolly policeman’s helmet, doing a
Bolt or a Mobot.
Contrary to pre-Games warnings, Train journeys became a joy,
transportation of thousands of people went like a dream and the visitors loved
every minute of every journey to and from the Park. Station staff and Ambassadors all over the
country welcomed their passengers with a Union Jack sweet and a smile.
Tremendous vision went into the City siting of the venues,
glorious Greenwich Park transformed for the Equestrian events became the
finest, the purple and blue stadium and arena seating 20,000 with a backdrop of
the Queens House, Royal Naval College, River Thames and Canary Wharf beyond.
Of course all the building and planning was eclipsed by the
athletes. When I wasn’t working there, I
was watching it all on TV, sobbing my socks off. The Olympics was wonderful, but I defy anyone to have watched dry eyed the one legged high jumper, the blind
runners, footballers and long jumpers, armless and legless swimmers, limbless
cyclists, cerebral palsy horse riders, or wheelchair tennis and rugby (murder ball), for me they were the
stars of the show and altered all our perceptions of what disability means and
what can be done not what cannot. Oscar,
Jonnie, Ellie, Josie, David and all the others, you and your dedicated support
teams have changed the world.
The medical team saw 29000 people out of 2.5 million
visitors during the Olympics, mostly for dehydration, sunburn, falling down the
steep arena steps, blisters, epilepsy and fitting ear protectors to
babies.....(gauze swabs and head bandages)!
One strange thing happened to the spectators, it became
obvious we were all cheering at the same roaring volume for any athlete, from
any country who performed well, or even just gave it everything and more,
whether from Iran, Iraq, Ireland or Rwanda – extraordinary, and an example to
those who think countries are so different.
So, if you want a life changing marvellous experience and
have enthusiasm, good health and the ability to do something, anything at all,
get your Volunteering boots on and think
of 2014 and 2016 – come on Commonwealth, roll on Rio, I can recommend it.
Jenni Davies, Varen
Val says
Well done Jenni. I can think of no better representative than you.
