Who would have thought that I could top my amazing Games Maker experience at the Aquatics Centre for London 2012? But I’ve just gone and done it with two weeks as a ‘volontaire’ at the Paris 2024 Olympics. On hearing the confirmation on 13 September 2017 at the IOC in Lima, Peru that Paris would host the XXXIII Olympiad, I quietly promised myself I would apply to be there!
Applying to be a volontaire at the Paris Olympics
The application process opened in March 2023 with the requirements to be aged 18 or over and speak French and English. No problem with either, so I promptly sent my form off and, alongside thousands of others from 155 countries, had a long wait for applications to be processed – until November 2023 when I had a message from one of the staff members (les Bleus) asking if I would be one of the chefs d’equipe on the road races.
It was my volunteer experience at Le Tour de France, Grand Depart from Yorkshire in 2014 and fluent French which ticked the right boxes. Wow – what a privilege to be chosen as one of 45,000 volunteers. Tony Estanguet, president of Paris 2024 (and French three-times Olympic champion slalom canoeist), described us as “The face, soul, heart and smile of the Games”.
Trained to be an Olympic volunteer
There was a whole heap of information in the form of webinars and podcasts to follow, an online portal for every volontaire and a Webex messaging service to communicate with staff and other volunteers. Once arrived in Paris I went to a training session at Le Grand Palais to get to know our managers, the locations and an idea of what would be required.
As volunteers we don’t get accommodation but a full kit of uniform, sponsored by Decathlon, including the much sought-after ‘Bob hat’ (le Bob), a Navigo travel card for the Paris Region, one meal per day when on duty and a few random gifts – an Olympic Swatch Watch, sun cream factor 50 and a Coca Cola Gourde with the exhortation to keep hydrated at all times.
The success of the Paris bid for the games was very much based on using existing venues – only the athletes’ village and the aquatics centre were new structures – to display the sports against the backdrop of iconic Parisian landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides and Trocadero. What luck – these were my locations and our managers kept telling us these were the best.
Olympic volunteer
I was allocated a small, brilliant team of volontaires to support the cyclists and their personnel in a wide variety of roles as ‘services aux athletes. ’The volunteer charter determines how volunteers are employed in their roles to ensure they are supported and safeguarded at all times. Fundamentally, it’s about promoting a light-hearted, friendly and courteous approach to making athletes and spectators happy to be part of the whole event.
As for the weather, the heavy rain from the opening ceremony continued the next day for the Cycling contre la montre (time trials). The huge ponchos we were given came in very useful on the Pont Alexandre III, with no shelter from the torrential non-stop downpours! The next weekend, sun cream and that Bob hat were the order of the day for the road races at the Trocadero.
Enjoying Paris 2024
Paris has always vaunted its culture, creativity and innovation and these were certainly on show throughout this festive celebration of sport. On days off-duty, I was living the dream with visits to see my favourite Impressionists at the Musée d’Orsay, marvel at the ‘En Jeu’ exhibition at the Musée Marmottan and explore the newly opened Musée Picasso.
I managed to get close up to La Vasque, that mind blowing Olympic cauldron in the Jardin des Tuileries. And not forgetting the sports, I took in the incredible beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower and exhilarating athletic heats at Le Stade de France when my family came to stay.
Games wide open
We couldn’t fail to be bowled over by Celine Dion’s interpretation of Piaf’s ‘L’Hymne a l’amour’, Lady Gaga’s version of ‘Mon truc en plumes’, that silver horse racing down the Seine and much more at the opening ceremony. The closing ceremony, with its science fiction interpretation of the history of the Olympics, the creation of the rings, the fabulous cacophony of music, Tom Cruise’s amazing entrance and journey to LA, showed how this Olympics was everything: sheer determination, dedication and most of all fun. Paris did it its way.
But my standout memory has to be Italian singer Gala’s 1997 hit ‘Freed from desire’, played all over the city and again at the closing ceremony. What a privilege to be part of this wonderful experience and work with a team of brilliant people with the hope of being ‘freed from desire’.
I can’t wait to complete my Olympic experience as a volontaire at the Paralympics in September and see the motto “Spirit in motion” in action. Here’s to the Olympic legacy. Let the spirit live on to inspire a new generation! C’est top!
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR CROWDFUNDER
HELP US BECOME STRONGER SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER POWERFUL CITIZEN JOURNALISM!
