- Date
- 05 Dec 2016
- Tags
- Olympic News
It is often said that it is the volunteers who “make the Games”. Early on, the organising committees of this global sports event launch programmes allowing tens of thousands of people from all backgrounds to apply to work in the most varied of areas of expertise, to ensure the smooth running of the Games. Would you like to become an Olympic volunteer?
How do you become an Olympic volunteer?
Applications for the PyeongChang 2018 volunteer programme closed in September 2016. Over 90.000 people applied for 22,400 volunteer positions for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, with the only restriction being a minimum age of 18. The Tokyo 2020 programme has kicked off in 2018, two years before the event. You can find all the information you need on the official website. So check it out to see if you can apply in your area of expertise. These are many and varied. The only must-have is enthusiasm. The chance to go for a uniquely exceptional experience is at your fingertips!
What does the work involve?
There were 50,000 of them for Rio 2016, for example. Volunteers' areas of expertise on the huge Olympic stage take many forms and in all languages, with athletes and teams, with spectators, and during the competitions themselves. Customer service, press and communications, health services, technology, protocol and languages, transport, opening and closing ceremonies, operational support for the Organising Committee, sports events, etc.Coming from all over the globe, speaking all languages, volunteers, as London 2012 Organising Committee Chairman Lord Sebastian Coe put it, “are the lifeblood of the Olympic Games.
What are the benefits of Olympic volunteering?
Olympic volunteering is also a chance to meet people from all backgrounds, and to focus individual and collective energy on serving others. It is an important commitment which requires a combination of competences and experiences. In return, volunteers obtain benefits that can last a lifetime. They make professional contacts and new friends; are given exclusive training; and receive a uniform and a participation certificate. A fantastic opportunity for their own personal development, the pleasure of being actively involved in a global celebration, and the satisfaction that comes from that.