Like millions of people around the world I tuned in to watch the London Olympics and I loved every single minute of it. It was fantastic, I cheered and yelled along, shedding tears as I got caught up in the emotion and excitement, punching the air as the British athletes won medal after medal after medal. Every now and then the TV coverage would spotlight the Gamesmakers, the volunteers who smiled, laughed and danced their way through the entire thing, and I can still remember seeing them and thinking ‘I bet that was loads of fun!’.
So, when I heard that the Glasgow Commonwealth Games were looking for volunteers, I jumped at the chance to be part of something similar. I sent off my application in September 2012, had my interview in July 2013 and in September last year I was thrilled to be asked to be part of Spectator Services!
Since then I’ve attend a few training events, learned a lot about the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Games, visited the venue I’ll be working at for 6 days and have started to understand just what a massive operation it is to put on an event of this scale. I have my uniform and accreditation, I know what I will doing (and what I won’t be doing, just as important!) and I am proud to say that I am a Clydesider!
I’ve already met a lot of the people I’ll be working alongside, several of which volunteered for London 2012 and are in Glasgow to volunteer again. Chatting to them and hearing their experiences has only helped add to the excitement, I can’t wait to get started.
There are a few reasons I volunteered but it was mostly because Glasgow is my home city (I grew up in a town a few miles away); I realised this was definitely one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunities, I may volunteer again but it’s unlikely it’ll be for such a major sporting event in my home city!
For the first 6 days of the Games I’m based at Tollcross International Swimming Centre, the venue for the swimming events and will be there every morning, bright and breezy! My position for the day will vary but as part of Spectator Services my job is to be the face of the Games, to smile, be helpful, respectful and polite, and do everything I can to make it a great experience for the spectators, competitors, staff, colleagues and myself!
The volunteers got invited to watch the rehearsals of the opening ceremony, I was there on Saturday night in the torrential rain, soaked to the bone but loving every minute of it. I won’t spoil the surprise(s) but I’ll admit there was a wee proud tear in my eye. I’m not massively into grand shows of patriotism, but I am very happy and proud to be Scottish and to live in Glasgow.