Day 26 - August 13
For me, today was about recovery time.
But as a tribute to all those who gave up their time and made the Games what they were, aka the volunteers, here is a small reflection (appeared in the
Maitland Mercury today) on the wonderful job done by the crew...
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| Sophie, Julia and Jenny in Leicester Square |
LONDON EYE
"By the time this arrives on the good shores
of postcode 2320 all of the medals would have been won, athletes applauded and
the celebrations in full swing.
Well, if Saturday night was anything to go by
than some of the parties may still be swinging at full speed with national
anthems, aka Khe Sanh and You’re The Voice, blaring well into the hours when
bacon and eggs are far more appropriate than one last scotch and dry.
Nevertheless, London 2012 has been a
fantastic ride from start to finish both on and off the sporting spectrum.
It’s hard to go past the achievements of
superstars Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps nor the efforts of the Australian
sailing team and swimming sensation Alicia Coutts.
However, this piece isn’t about those who
made headlines around the world during the biggest multi-sports festival on the
planet.
Rather, this is all about putting the
spotlight on those who gave the Games an unforgettable edge without even
meaning too.
It’s all about the pink and purple brigade
scattered all around Olympic Park and the main thoroughfares of London
throughout the 16 days of the Games.
These people of course were the volunteers
and they did an absolutely sterling job in delivering an immeasurable service
to visitors from across the globe.
From those giving directions to those
selling the much-needed refreshments on the run and from those raking the sand
at the beach volleyball to those collecting stray balls at the hockey field –
each and every one of the some 70,000 Games Makers have played their part in
this XXX Olympiad.
The best thing I can do is provide a few
examples to back up my claims and let you decide for yourself.
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| Dedication! |
Let’s take Louise Hampton, dubbed the most
dedicated volunteer on Team GB, who clocked up in excess of 3,200 kilometres in
helping out at the Olympics.
Each day the 22-year-old travelled 430km
and left her Wolverhampton home at 3am to be at work on time.
She didn’t see one iota of the action despite
being situated within a spit of the main Olympic Stadium but this didn’t worry
her.
“I don’t mind,” she told the local press.
“It’s been enough to be a part of it.”
This goes also to the beautiful young girls
who directed traffic on the way to train stations at the end of a long day at
Stratford.
All that each and every one of the
thousands shuffling their way towards the tube wanted to do at 10.30pm was get
home to a warm bed and rest their weary legs.
The process was painful with many
like-minded folk, however, the volunteers made the difference in this instance.
One with a megaphone, an iPod and a
spontaneous piece of karaoke that kept many entertained and amused along the
way.
The second was extra impressive with crowd
control incredible – stopping a moving mob in their tracks to ensure safety and
then turning disgruntlement into a Mexican wave hundreds of metres down the
road.
They were unforgettable pieces of
unexpected magic.
It was the same in central London as well
with the likes of Jenny, Julia and Sophie – the tireless worker, the proud
Londoner and the uni student – keeping guard at Leicester Square.
Dealing with all sorts of enquires: where
is the closest pub; why do those bells ring; and (my personal favourite) where
is my wife?
So a collective thankyou to all of those
wonderful people and the impact they made upon London 2012.
They may not have made the podium but they
will remain in the hearts and minds of the many that were lucky enough to cross
their paths."
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| Hats off for the volunteers of London 2012 |
*Final pic from BBC 5 website.
