my london 2012
“Are you going to volunteer?” A friend said, “I've not given it a thought” I said “why not?” she said “we must be able to to something, hand out uniforms, greet people, we could do that” I was not convinced but the seed was now sown. I returned home and signed on to the London 2012 website. Here my experience begins.
This was way back in 2010 near to the closing date for applications, I hurriedly filled the online forms and hit the send button then promptly forgot all about it.
Months later I received an email inviting me to an interview, March 4th 2011, why not? nothing else to do, I accepted.
As the day approached I found myself going over in my head possible questions and my answers, I had spoken to a few other people who had already been interviewed and had an idea of how things might go, so on March 4th off to Excel I went fully prepared.
I arrived early and got turned away and told to come back later at the appointed time. I slopped off for a coffee and returned later to be allowed in, given a white wrist band, have my picture taken, for my accreditation I was told, and introduced to my interviewer, a nice lady from the North London School of Sports Massage. I was being interviewed for a position as a Sports Massage Practitioner on the Medical team.
After the interview I met my Husband and Son for dinner, “how did it go?” They said. “Not good” I said.
Having been fairly relaxed about the whole thing, when I sat down for my interview I became stupidly and uncontrollably excitable, all my prepared answers went out the window and I jabbered away, the final straw being when she asked “why do you think you should be selected” and I answered “because I really really want to do it”. Never mind it was a nice day out.
This was way back in 2010 near to the closing date for applications, I hurriedly filled the online forms and hit the send button then promptly forgot all about it.
Months later I received an email inviting me to an interview, March 4th 2011, why not? nothing else to do, I accepted.
As the day approached I found myself going over in my head possible questions and my answers, I had spoken to a few other people who had already been interviewed and had an idea of how things might go, so on March 4th off to Excel I went fully prepared.
I arrived early and got turned away and told to come back later at the appointed time. I slopped off for a coffee and returned later to be allowed in, given a white wrist band, have my picture taken, for my accreditation I was told, and introduced to my interviewer, a nice lady from the North London School of Sports Massage. I was being interviewed for a position as a Sports Massage Practitioner on the Medical team.
After the interview I met my Husband and Son for dinner, “how did it go?” They said. “Not good” I said.
Having been fairly relaxed about the whole thing, when I sat down for my interview I became stupidly and uncontrollably excitable, all my prepared answers went out the window and I jabbered away, the final straw being when she asked “why do you think you should be selected” and I answered “because I really really want to do it”. Never mind it was a nice day out.
I then forgot all about the Olympics until an email from Emma dropped into my inbox, asking me if I'd like to help at the London to Surrey Classic Bike race on 14th August 2011. This was my first test event which involved a day spent on the Mall, wearing a first aid bum bag at the start and finish of the race. I was able to mingle freely with the athletes, chat with other members of the medical team and had a perfect view of Mark Cavendish winning the race. This event filled me with enthusiasm for volunteering and I signed up for as many test events as possible.
The next event was the Women's Handball, my first foray into the Olympic Park.
It was with some trepidation that I entered the Olympic Park on 24th November 2012 and walked through what looked like a building site, guided by amazingly happy people in Hi Vis jackets to the Copper Box. Here I spent 2 amazing days massaging athletes (mainly the Angolan team), watching Handball from the FOP (field of play) and meeting more medical team volunteers.
The test event fuelled my desire to actually be a Games-maker and I became obsessed with checking my inbox for the acceptance email.
Christmas came and went and I had it in my head that I should have heard by now and started doubting whether it was going to happen for me then on the 30th December I received an email stating that I was still in the running for a role.
On the 9th January I finally got the news I was waiting for I was in!
The email came whilst out walking the dog, the familiar notification sound on my phone telling me I had an email was followed by an enormous whoop, which scared the dog, I,d been offered a role on the medical team for London 2012. I rushed off home as fast as I could muster, much to the annoyance of the dog who really hadn't finished her walk, to find out what venue.
Click, click, click,
Thank you for confirming that you will take on the role of Sports Massage Practitioner with the MEDICAL team at VELOPARK during the OLYMPIC GAMES.
Yes!!
Over the next few months training events ensued, involving mass gathering of Games-makers as the volunteers were to be known. People from all walks of life, professions and parts of the world, celebrities, silly games, questionnaires and the revealing of the uniform.
Christmas came and went and I had it in my head that I should have heard by now and started doubting whether it was going to happen for me then on the 30th December I received an email stating that I was still in the running for a role.
On the 9th January I finally got the news I was waiting for I was in!
The email came whilst out walking the dog, the familiar notification sound on my phone telling me I had an email was followed by an enormous whoop, which scared the dog, I,d been offered a role on the medical team for London 2012. I rushed off home as fast as I could muster, much to the annoyance of the dog who really hadn't finished her walk, to find out what venue.
Click, click, click,
Thank you for confirming that you will take on the role of Sports Massage Practitioner with the MEDICAL team at VELOPARK during the OLYMPIC GAMES.
Yes!!
Over the next few months training events ensued, involving mass gathering of Games-makers as the volunteers were to be known. People from all walks of life, professions and parts of the world, celebrities, silly games, questionnaires and the revealing of the uniform.
Test event number 3, Feb 2012, UCI World Cup in the Velodrome, when the invite arrived it caused great excitement as the Velodrome was my venue, it'd be great to get to know the venue before the games.
One of the (few) frustrations throughout the whole games-maker process was a lack of communication, so I arrived at the Stratford entrance extremely early on a freezing morning in February to be told They didn't have my accreditation, several phone calls later it was explained I should be at the pudding mill entrance where someone was waiting to accompany me to the Velodrome, at least when I finally arrived there JP had a coffee waiting for me. The bus ride seemed to take for ever and even involved a change of buses and a 15 minute wait at a temporary bus stop called SOC but this was all worth the effort as I took my first step into the Velodrome.
One of the (few) frustrations throughout the whole games-maker process was a lack of communication, so I arrived at the Stratford entrance extremely early on a freezing morning in February to be told They didn't have my accreditation, several phone calls later it was explained I should be at the pudding mill entrance where someone was waiting to accompany me to the Velodrome, at least when I finally arrived there JP had a coffee waiting for me. The bus ride seemed to take for ever and even involved a change of buses and a 15 minute wait at a temporary bus stop called SOC but this was all worth the effort as I took my first step into the Velodrome.
This award winning building is beyond words, as beautiful as it is functional, it definitely has the X Factor and I was to spend 3 days working here. Those 3 days flashed by, watching, chatting to and massaging the athletes the whole atmosphere was amazing from the sound of a solitary cyclist riding around the track to the sprint final between Vicky Pendleton and Anna Meares with 6,000 spectators cheering them on.
As I left the Velodrome after my last shift I was tired but elated this was going to be amazing an experience of a lifetime, I couldn't wait.
As I left the Velodrome after my last shift I was tired but elated this was going to be amazing an experience of a lifetime, I couldn't wait.
When the last batch of test events were published I had to choose between Wheelchair rugby and Bucs Athletics, this was a difficult decision as rugby is a sport I regularly work in I was tempted but the draw of working inside the stadium was too much and I signed up for the Athletics.
I had 1 training day and 3 long shifts one finishing at 9pm on Saturday and the next starting at 7am on Sunday, I'd need a hotel.
Hotel booked, travel sorted this was becoming expensive so to save on travel costs I managed to arrange collection of the Games-maker uniform before my first shift at the Stadium.
I arrived at UDAC (another LOCOG acronym)passport in hand, you go nowhere without suitable identification through this process and queued with all the other Games-makers, we chatted about our roles and venues for the Games. The volunteers who were handing out uniforms were already doing their (very important) roles with the joy and enthusiasm that was to become synonymous with the the Games-makers.
Uniform and official accreditation collected along with some interesting gifts, I drove to Stratford, parked and checked into the hotel then made my way through Westfield shopping centre and into the park. It was now beginning to take shape all the venues were finished and it looked less like a building site,I was slightly early so took the opportunity to look around the stadium. I sat in a seat and looked at the track and field, it was new, never been used and I felt so so lucky to have been given the chance to be here.
Back to work, the BUCS Athletics were the busiest I'd ever been providing sports massage to 1,000 athletes from all over the UK competing for glory across 15 disciplines. The students were great to work with full of youthful enthusiasm and all enjoying the chance to compete on the big stage. I'm hoping I've treated future Olympians.
After 3, 8 hr shifts of back to back sports massage, with tired joints and aching muscles I said farewell to the Stadium and headed home.
Next stop The Olympic Games.
I had 1 training day and 3 long shifts one finishing at 9pm on Saturday and the next starting at 7am on Sunday, I'd need a hotel.
Hotel booked, travel sorted this was becoming expensive so to save on travel costs I managed to arrange collection of the Games-maker uniform before my first shift at the Stadium.
I arrived at UDAC (another LOCOG acronym)passport in hand, you go nowhere without suitable identification through this process and queued with all the other Games-makers, we chatted about our roles and venues for the Games. The volunteers who were handing out uniforms were already doing their (very important) roles with the joy and enthusiasm that was to become synonymous with the the Games-makers.
Uniform and official accreditation collected along with some interesting gifts, I drove to Stratford, parked and checked into the hotel then made my way through Westfield shopping centre and into the park. It was now beginning to take shape all the venues were finished and it looked less like a building site,I was slightly early so took the opportunity to look around the stadium. I sat in a seat and looked at the track and field, it was new, never been used and I felt so so lucky to have been given the chance to be here.
Back to work, the BUCS Athletics were the busiest I'd ever been providing sports massage to 1,000 athletes from all over the UK competing for glory across 15 disciplines. The students were great to work with full of youthful enthusiasm and all enjoying the chance to compete on the big stage. I'm hoping I've treated future Olympians.
After 3, 8 hr shifts of back to back sports massage, with tired joints and aching muscles I said farewell to the Stadium and headed home.
Next stop The Olympic Games.
At the end of May I received my shifts, starting on the 17th July and running through until 7th August 5 days on, 2 days off 16 shifts at the Velodrome and 6 at Redbridge Cycling Centre with a training day on the 14th July. This was over a considerably longer period than anticipated, I was going to need more time off work and be away from home for over 3 weeks, thankfully my son had moved into student accommodation in Walthamstow so I was able to stay with him reducing cost and traveling time.
The coming weeks were concerned with logistics and planning, all Games-makers were given a pink travel card to use on London transport so lots of maps and websites were consulted about the best way to travel at strange hours to get to and from shifts, after much deliberation I decided as I am a fairly keen cyclist to take my bike.
D day arrived and Bike, Uniform, clothes, i-devices, duvet and pillows were loaded into the car 50 minutes later I was moving into student accommodation for 3 weeks of student/Olympic life.
I awoke on the morning of my first shift far too early after very little sleep due to a mix of excitement, anticipation and sleeping on a piece of foam on the floor, made myself a coffee and a quick breakfast, donned my uniform and pushed my bike out of the house, as I cycled down the road the sun was shining and I was feeling good right up until I reached the first major junction, here all hell broke loose, I was in the wrong lane not cycling fast enough, drivers were blowing their horns and waving fists, welcome to Cycling in London. Somehow I managed to arrive at Stratford unscathed and locked my bike to a bike rack near a policeman (hoping he'd take care of it) and made my way to security. My bag was scanned and searched and I was allowed entry. The Velodrome is quite a distance from the Stratford entrance so I was able to take in the views and atmosphere of the park on the way, it was still 2 weeks until Games time and I was surprised at how much was left to be finished but the meadows and flowers were all flourishing due to the wet summer we were having. The park was stunning impeccably tidy and aesthetically pleasing, the amazing architecture fitted perfectly within the very British grounds.
The coming weeks were concerned with logistics and planning, all Games-makers were given a pink travel card to use on London transport so lots of maps and websites were consulted about the best way to travel at strange hours to get to and from shifts, after much deliberation I decided as I am a fairly keen cyclist to take my bike.
D day arrived and Bike, Uniform, clothes, i-devices, duvet and pillows were loaded into the car 50 minutes later I was moving into student accommodation for 3 weeks of student/Olympic life.
I awoke on the morning of my first shift far too early after very little sleep due to a mix of excitement, anticipation and sleeping on a piece of foam on the floor, made myself a coffee and a quick breakfast, donned my uniform and pushed my bike out of the house, as I cycled down the road the sun was shining and I was feeling good right up until I reached the first major junction, here all hell broke loose, I was in the wrong lane not cycling fast enough, drivers were blowing their horns and waving fists, welcome to Cycling in London. Somehow I managed to arrive at Stratford unscathed and locked my bike to a bike rack near a policeman (hoping he'd take care of it) and made my way to security. My bag was scanned and searched and I was allowed entry. The Velodrome is quite a distance from the Stratford entrance so I was able to take in the views and atmosphere of the park on the way, it was still 2 weeks until Games time and I was surprised at how much was left to be finished but the meadows and flowers were all flourishing due to the wet summer we were having. The park was stunning impeccably tidy and aesthetically pleasing, the amazing architecture fitted perfectly within the very British grounds.
On arrival at the Velodrome I nervously made my way past security to the medical room, here I met the medical manager and other members of our team, introductions done and we awaited instructions which never appeared as no athletes were expected in that day so we familiarised ourselves (explored) with the venue and organised the medical room. The first few days were quiet training sessions were allotted and a medical team had to be available should any teams wish to train on the track. My nerves subsided and we began to gel as a team getting to know each other and our learning our strengths and weaknesses.
After 3, very quiet shifts at the Velodrome my next two were at Redbridge Cycle Centre, a designated training venue for cyclists. This was further away from my accommodation but I didn't need to start so early. The 8 mile cycle was pleasant apart from the long steep climb approaching the venue, so I arrived hot, sweaty and out of breath. Although there was still security on the gate, the atmosphere here was much more relaxed and as they had also not had any athletes use the facility and all were keen cyclists most of the day was spent watching Le Tour de France on TV.
After 3, very quiet shifts at the Velodrome my next two were at Redbridge Cycle Centre, a designated training venue for cyclists. This was further away from my accommodation but I didn't need to start so early. The 8 mile cycle was pleasant apart from the long steep climb approaching the venue, so I arrived hot, sweaty and out of breath. Although there was still security on the gate, the atmosphere here was much more relaxed and as they had also not had any athletes use the facility and all were keen cyclists most of the day was spent watching Le Tour de France on TV.
The rest of this week continued in a similar vein with only the occasional team turning up to have a look around the Velodrome but I had become accustomed to my venues and my team and was assured that after my 2 days off it would be busier.
My days off were mainly concerned with catching up on the lost sleep and I returned to London feeling refreshed and raring to go.
Another couple of quiet days at the training centre and then back to the Velodrome.
After copious research I'd managed to find a safer cycling route to the North Entrance of the park, this took me exactly 25 minutes door to door including a change out of cycling gear and into uniform. On arrival at the entrance things were definitely hotting up, there were many more security guards, police and troops around which made me feel more relaxed and secure, it had always been in the back of my mind that this was a very high profile venue so the high level of security was most welcome and not an inconvenience at all.
My days off were mainly concerned with catching up on the lost sleep and I returned to London feeling refreshed and raring to go.
Another couple of quiet days at the training centre and then back to the Velodrome.
After copious research I'd managed to find a safer cycling route to the North Entrance of the park, this took me exactly 25 minutes door to door including a change out of cycling gear and into uniform. On arrival at the entrance things were definitely hotting up, there were many more security guards, police and troops around which made me feel more relaxed and secure, it had always been in the back of my mind that this was a very high profile venue so the high level of security was most welcome and not an inconvenience at all.
Again on entry to the park I was hit by how beautiful it was, with only a few days until the opening ceremony it was really coming together, flags depicting the different sports and nations were popping up on venues and the people running the various concession stands were very busy getting prepared. There was a real buzz of anticipation about the place.
First port of call on arrival was the Games-maker Check In, here we were checked in and given the all important meal vouchers. I was allocated 2 meals as my shifts were 12 hours long, tea, Coffee and water were freely available in the rest area where Games-makers went to take a break and get refreshments. This large temporary structure was awash with red and purple and a great place to meet other volunteers and chat about our roles, there was such a friendly feel to the place and I met many interesting people here.
First port of call on arrival was the Games-maker Check In, here we were checked in and given the all important meal vouchers. I was allocated 2 meals as my shifts were 12 hours long, tea, Coffee and water were freely available in the rest area where Games-makers went to take a break and get refreshments. This large temporary structure was awash with red and purple and a great place to meet other volunteers and chat about our roles, there was such a friendly feel to the place and I met many interesting people here.
The meals were good, hot food on a 5 day rotation, chicken, fish, Cornish pasty all served with plenty of veg and a choice of cold drink, fruit and a cereal bar. The bars became an in house joke and after 3 weeks many of us never wanted to eat one again!
With morning coffee in hand I was off to the daily briefing, athletes were expected in today, this was very exciting, medical armbands and bum bags were handed out and we trundled down to the field of play (FOP) here the atmosphere was literally hotting up.
With morning coffee in hand I was off to the daily briefing, athletes were expected in today, this was very exciting, medical armbands and bum bags were handed out and we trundled down to the field of play (FOP) here the atmosphere was literally hotting up.
The temperature inside the velodrome is maintained at a sweltering 28 degrees Celsius, warm air is conducive to fast times not only because it helps keep the athletes' muscles loose and flexible, but also because warm air is less dense than cooler air, decreasing the aerodynamic resistance the riders encounter.
Under the Scandinavian pine track (sourced from sustainable forests) is kept damp to increase the humidity, this ensures no gaps appear between the planks and also decreases air density. That's great for the athletes but for the Games-makers and support staff meant many sweat hours and several changes of clothing which resulted in a challenge to get them washed and dried in a student house with no washing machine.
Under the Scandinavian pine track (sourced from sustainable forests) is kept damp to increase the humidity, this ensures no gaps appear between the planks and also decreases air density. That's great for the athletes but for the Games-makers and support staff meant many sweat hours and several changes of clothing which resulted in a challenge to get them washed and dried in a student house with no washing machine.
Today we had athletes from Cuba, China, South Africa, and the massive thighs of Germany in to train, the velodrome started to come alive. The sound of tyres on the track is surprisingly soporific and they even put microphones beneath the track so it can be heard during competition. I never tired of standing in the middle of the technical area watching the cyclists going round and round especially when the pursuit teams were practicing it was like poetry in motion.
As I left the park in the evening I was greeted by streams of happy, smiling, waving and cheering people who all appeared to be in fancy dress, these it transpired were the 100s of volunteers involved in the opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony was a closely guarded secret, even the volunteers who had watched the rehearsals managed not to give anything away.
On the day of the actual opening ceremony I was shifted to be at Redbridge this proved to be a good place to be as many of the road cyclists arrived there to loosen their legs, I was lucky to meet some of them including Marianna Voss who subsequently won Gold in the Ladies Road Race. I offered to swap bikes with her but surprisingly she declined.
Over the next couple of days more teams came in to train including Australia and New Zealand, who look amazing in their all black suits and the excitement heightened, last minute problems were overcome, many medical scenarios completed and we hoped we were ready.
The opening ceremony was a closely guarded secret, even the volunteers who had watched the rehearsals managed not to give anything away.
On the day of the actual opening ceremony I was shifted to be at Redbridge this proved to be a good place to be as many of the road cyclists arrived there to loosen their legs, I was lucky to meet some of them including Marianna Voss who subsequently won Gold in the Ladies Road Race. I offered to swap bikes with her but surprisingly she declined.
Over the next couple of days more teams came in to train including Australia and New Zealand, who look amazing in their all black suits and the excitement heightened, last minute problems were overcome, many medical scenarios completed and we hoped we were ready.
The opening of the games happened 5 days before the first event at the velodrome, my shifts started at 7:30am so things were much the same when I arrived on the first day during games time although, thankfully all the building equipment had been removed and the park looked fantastic. When I left the sheltered confines of the Velodrome for a tea break the difference hit me, there were people everywhere it felt strange as I'd got used to having the space as my own, there were now people in my park! I got my tea and sat at a picnic table which in the 3 hours the park had been open had gained some graffiti and I started chatting to the spectators, asking them if they were enjoying themselves and what event they had come to see. Everyone was in a great mood, happy to just be there, this atmosphere was amazing and addictive, I found it very therapeutic to sit and chat to happy excited people.
Team GB arrived in the velodrome and we played spot the athlete, Chris Hoy, Vicky Pendleton, Jason Kenny and Laura Trott to name a few. Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins were also spotted behind the scenes, fresh from their Tour de France and time trial success which was avidly watched as much as possible on every TV and screen in the velodrome, including the big screens by many cheering clapping staff. One of my favourite memory's was watching Bradley winning Gold in the time trial whilst the German team were warming up on the track, a massive cheer reverberated around as the German cyclists looked slightly bemused.
Team GB arrived in the velodrome and we played spot the athlete, Chris Hoy, Vicky Pendleton, Jason Kenny and Laura Trott to name a few. Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins were also spotted behind the scenes, fresh from their Tour de France and time trial success which was avidly watched as much as possible on every TV and screen in the velodrome, including the big screens by many cheering clapping staff. One of my favourite memory's was watching Bradley winning Gold in the time trial whilst the German team were warming up on the track, a massive cheer reverberated around as the German cyclists looked slightly bemused.
Competition commenced on the 2nd of August, this was a day off for me so I was able to relax and watch the action on the TV, the atmosphere looked phenomenal and my excitement grew, the next few days were going to be amazing.
My first day working during competition at the velodrome started the same as all the other days but immediately differed after entering the medical room, there was a buzz of anticipation. Full medical teams including sports medicine doctors and paramedics were now present, medical bags and equipment were being checked and double checked, I was assigned to a team and I made my way to the field of play. Competition was due to start at 4pm so things were pretty much as normal with teams training on the track. A briefing was held by our team leader who explained that we needed to be in place and ready for action by 3pm. As the morning passed the velodrome filled with all the teams competing that day, Team GB had medal hopes in the Women's Keirin and Men's team pursuit.
At 3pm fed and watered, all medical teams were in place and the spectators started to arrive, for a lot of them it was the first time they'd been in the velodrome and you could sense the amazement they felt on entering.
On the big screens information about the events was shown and a little vt with celebrities encouraging the crowd to be quiet at the start of the races, this was played before each race and worked very well in creating an unforgettable experience as there was deathly silence just before the start and a rousing cheer as the cyclists raced around the track. These cheers followed the riders around like a vocal Mexican wave and were exceptionally loud when a GB rider was competing.
As Games-makers we were expected to remain impartial to the competition, we had been instructed that we could clap politely, when Victoria Pendleton crossed the line ahead of Shuang Guo of China, these instructions were forgotten and we cheered as loud as the rest of the spectators, thankfully we refrained from jumping up and down and waving our arms.
At the medal ceremony we were allowed to gather around the podium as long as we remained out of any camera shot, this was a fantastic privilege and I found myself standing very close to the podium. As our national anthem rang out around and the athletes controlled their emotions I felt very proud to be British.
My first day working during competition at the velodrome started the same as all the other days but immediately differed after entering the medical room, there was a buzz of anticipation. Full medical teams including sports medicine doctors and paramedics were now present, medical bags and equipment were being checked and double checked, I was assigned to a team and I made my way to the field of play. Competition was due to start at 4pm so things were pretty much as normal with teams training on the track. A briefing was held by our team leader who explained that we needed to be in place and ready for action by 3pm. As the morning passed the velodrome filled with all the teams competing that day, Team GB had medal hopes in the Women's Keirin and Men's team pursuit.
At 3pm fed and watered, all medical teams were in place and the spectators started to arrive, for a lot of them it was the first time they'd been in the velodrome and you could sense the amazement they felt on entering.
On the big screens information about the events was shown and a little vt with celebrities encouraging the crowd to be quiet at the start of the races, this was played before each race and worked very well in creating an unforgettable experience as there was deathly silence just before the start and a rousing cheer as the cyclists raced around the track. These cheers followed the riders around like a vocal Mexican wave and were exceptionally loud when a GB rider was competing.
As Games-makers we were expected to remain impartial to the competition, we had been instructed that we could clap politely, when Victoria Pendleton crossed the line ahead of Shuang Guo of China, these instructions were forgotten and we cheered as loud as the rest of the spectators, thankfully we refrained from jumping up and down and waving our arms.
At the medal ceremony we were allowed to gather around the podium as long as we remained out of any camera shot, this was a fantastic privilege and I found myself standing very close to the podium. As our national anthem rang out around and the athletes controlled their emotions I felt very proud to be British.
I had 1 day off during the competition, I had originally planned to do something mundane like shopping or sightseeing but the draw of the Olympic atmosphere was too much to resist and my day off was spent in uniform exploring the Olympic park, watching the action in Park Live and chatting to random people,
I took many family photos for many family's. It had become extremely important that as games-makers we make a lasting impression and the desire to ensure that these games, our games, were a success was very strong. I also visited McDonalds, well you have to don't you! After queuing for 20 mins I climbed to the top floor with my cappuccino the views from here were worth the wait.
The rest of games time flashed by, medical scenarios practiced, athletes treated and a trackside seat for all the events.
I have worked at and spectated at many sporting events but have never experienced an atmosphere like the Velodrome, I was there when Chris Hoy won gold in the Keirin, Laura Trott won gold in the Omnium and when Vicky Pendleton finished her career with Olympic silver.
My own personal Olympic dream was over but what a blast, I've been inspired but not to compete, I've been inspired to volunteer, it is far more rewarding than I expected, the simple process of "making someone's day" brings its own reward.
Next stop Rio?
Well we'll see.
Amanda Kelland ツ
I have worked at and spectated at many sporting events but have never experienced an atmosphere like the Velodrome, I was there when Chris Hoy won gold in the Keirin, Laura Trott won gold in the Omnium and when Vicky Pendleton finished her career with Olympic silver.
My own personal Olympic dream was over but what a blast, I've been inspired but not to compete, I've been inspired to volunteer, it is far more rewarding than I expected, the simple process of "making someone's day" brings its own reward.
Next stop Rio?
Well we'll see.
Amanda Kelland ツ