We Brits are always obsessed with the weather, so the big question for me as I got ready to go back to Paris for my stint at the Paralympics, was what to pack. As it turned out, both sun cream and rain protection were needed. The opening ceremony in the Place de la Concorde went ahead with the athletes, spectators and dignitaries basking in lovely early evening sunshine. But this was not to last.
Formation and familiarisation as a volunteer at the Paralympics
I arrived in Paris just before the training (formation) day at Clichy Sous Bois for the road races and time trials. This site was about 15kms to the east of Paris, so it was Metro/RER E and Tram 4 to get there over the six days of competition. Choosing this venue was part of a deliberate strategy by the Paris Olympic organisation to take the Paralympics out to the people wherever possible.
The road races (les courses) and time trials (contre la montre) were based around the Complexe Sportif Henri Barbusse and encompassed the Collège Romain-Rolland, a primary school and a nursery school within the perimeter. Much is being done to regenerate the Cichy Sous Bois area following the civil unrest in 2005, but the scars of deprivation were still visible in the yet to be demolished blocks of flats.
There was a sense that the locals were pleased to see the Olympic bonanza come to their area, especially when they came to applaud the athletes. It was even more evident when the children and students came out at break time and the end of school, to wave flags and bang loudly on the side panels when the races were in progress. This week coincided with children going back to school (la rentrée).
Overall, being on one site for the road races was much easier to navigate than the treks between Invalides/Pont Alexander III and Trocadero/Tour Eiffel at the Jeux Olympiques (JO) in August. There was much to digest on the training day, followed by the familiarisation day. This was when the teams arrived on site and we had to distinguish the different categories of athletes and types of bikes.
Services aux athletes – the new team
It was good to see old hands as well as new faces amongst the volontaires – I’d met Manon from Quebec and François from La Rochelle at the JO – and the same fantastic team of staff including Philippe, Jean Sebastian, Thierry, Zoe and Louise. Over six days, we rotated different roles around the site, guiding the athletes and coaches at key points to the race starts, helping athletes in the athletes’ lounge (resto) with meals, waiting at the finish line, taking medal winners to the protocol and medal ceremonies and much more.
On the last day, our mission was at the Parc Georges Valbon in La Courneuve, to the north of Paris. This was a huge park with a massive, dominating Skyliner. It was the venue for the 8am start of the marathon, followed by a day of celebrations (le grand jour) with a range of activities aimed at children in the Seine-Saint Denis département, featuring bike-ability courses, wall climbing and skateboarding. Our roles changed completely. I was on lunch duty helping pack up 300 lunch bags – first time as a dinner lady!
At 1pm we moved to lead the French medal winners to the stage following their spectacular descent on the Skyliner to wild applause. A concert followed with popular hip-hop duo, Big Flo and Oli, but not before we heard the strains of Italian singer Gala’s 1997 hit Freed from desire, again over the loudspeakers. What a blast to end our Paralympic mission!
So about the weather?
The French have definitely taken up our obsession with the weather from their Olympic and Paralympic experience. At Clichy Sous Bois, parasols had been ordered to shield the cyclists from the sun but they turned into parapluies and came in handy to provide cover at the start line, during torrential downpours, while the volontaires got out the ponchos again.
Although the rain came to say goodbye at the closing ceremony at the Stade de France, it didn’t stop the Olympic joie de vivre. The Olympic balloon (la vasque) sadly couldn’t rise up because of the weather, but singer Santa’s version of Johnny Halliday’s Vivre Pour le Meilleur, the Garde Républicaine’s singalong version of Joe Dassin’s Les Champs Elysees, Charles Aznavour’s Emmenez-moi, Dalida’s Laissez-moi danser and much more, proved that Paris est une fête, whatever the weather.
Paris should be enormously proud of what was achieved over summer 2024 – crazy, mad, fou, emotion, but most of all it showcased an inclusive world with stunning athletes at its heart. I was very privileged to be part of it.
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