Volunteering at the 2002 Olympics--
What an amazing sight. I am watching the men race down the hill at speeds of more than 83 mph. Makes me nervous to watch. I am so afraid for them. A fall could mean serious injuries. When they make it to the finish line, I finally relax.
What makes me more nervous is skating. Everytime a skater begins a jump, I hold my breath. If they fall, so many points are take away. I want them all to do well. Years of hard work come down to a few minutes on the ice with judges watching every move. I know they have been judged many times before. But, this is different. This is the Olympics.
There is one event I can watch and enjoy without any tense moments. That would be curling. I think I might be able to learn that sport. Give me a broom and let me try!
All of the events in the Olympics are great fun to watch. Each requires so much preparation and hard work. What a rush the athletes much experience when they finally get to show their stuff.
I was a volunteer at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. What a wonderful experience. It was a tense time for America as 9/11 was a fresh memory. There was fear that another attack might happen. So, the security was tight.
The first thing volunteers had to do was check in and pick up uniforms. We were given ski pants, ski jackets, gloves, turtle necks, backpacks, hats and a few other things. We would wear them everyday. Then we were given our assignments. I was assigned to Park City and Deer Valley. There were four of us on the same team. People could purchase a different colored ticket each day so they could watch closed circuit tv of all the venues as they happened. We were to be by the doors and check those tickets to be sure they had the colored ticket of the day. If they did, they could enter the room and watch the events.
People would try to walk past me on their way upstairs to watch the tv's, and I would have to stop them and ask to see their ticket. They wore them around their necks. If the right one wasn't present, I would have to explain that they couldn't enter. I would also tell them they could purchase a ticket. But, they were very expensive. Most people were very understanding. Only a few showed their displeasure.
I learned that there were sharp shooters all around the mountains ready to protect. There were tons of plain clothes policemen walking around in snow clothes watching and listening. I never felt unsafe.
Collecting Olympic pins is almost a sport in itself. Sponsors of the Olympics mass produced pins that people collected. Swapping was a big deal. People would put the pins on their jackets or hats and if you saw one that you did not have, you asked if they would be willing to trade. Often people would. I collected quite a few really neat pins from the games.
Being part of something so huge was wonderful. I met such talented people. I visited with athletes and had my picture taken with Dorothy Hamill. She was the speaker at a luncheon at Park City. What a lovely person she was.
One guy tried to go upstairs in Park City. I asked to see his tickets. He didn't have the right color for the day. Kindly, I explained that he couldn't pass. He asked if a particular person was working upstairs. Yes, she was. He asked if I would go upstairs and ask her to come downstairs. Maybe we could work this out. So, I went upstairs to get her. I was explaining the situation to her as we walked back downstairs. When she could see the man, she broke out in the biggest laugh. Then she told me why she was laughing. He owned the building! I had stopped him from going upstairs in his own building. He told me that he was so glad I was the one assigned to his building! He asked for my address and sent me a gift when I returned home. That is only one of the cool things that happened during my two weeks as a volunteer.
As I watch the athletes from the comfort and warmth of my home, I remember how great it was to be a small part of such a big event. Here's a thought for you. If there is something you would like to do, go for it. My brother lived in Salt Lake and was the one who encouraged me to apply for a volunteer position. Without him I would never have had that opportunity.
I am always waiting and watching for another chance to move outside my comfort zone. How about you?
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