1 week on and a few thoughts

So... It's a week on from initial training and I felt like  adding a few thoughts.

Firstly, I must clarify that Games Makers have been asked not to give any specifics around where we'll be based or the content of the training for security purposes. This blog on this basis will be around my own thoughts, feelings and observations without being too specific.

Well if your trying to avoid the Olympics, It's got to be pretty difficult so far, due to all the adverts of the sponsors.

I'm sure everyone has thought about the irony behind the main sponsors McDonald's and Cadburys!! It has to raise a small smile.

Anyway the Paralympics is also proving to be quite exciting and yesterday morning I caught a program on channel 4 around the paralympic athletes. Check it out on the link below... Very interesting and thought provoking.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/that-paralympic-show

So my next training session is in April... I'm very excited.  I'm also trying to teach myself BSL ( British Sign Language). I knew a little bit from when I was younger and can pretty much do the alphabet by finger spelling. I am trying to learn useful phrases like please, thank you, name etc...
Well I see how that goes.

That's it for now...

Orientation Training The Start of my Olympic Journey

So the Olympic journey as a Games Maker starts here. Day 1 of training meant a trip to Wembley Arena.  For someone who is very attached to my country home surroudings, I felt a degree of trepidation heading to the hustle and bustle of our capital city. These feelings were soon suppressed by the overwhelming feeling of excitement by this once in a lifetime opportunity. To think a quarter of a million people volunteered to be a Games Maker and only 70,000 people were chosen. I am 1 of 70,000 picked for this historic event.  I have encountered a lot of people who really couldn't care less about the Olympics this year but when I'm old and grey, I want to able to say I was there and share my experience.  The meeting of these volunteers is the largest since the second world war... And the biggest peacetime meeting for volunteers in this country.  Wembley itself, if you have ever been there, leaves an impression you will never forget.  To be there surrounded by other volunteers, knowing we were all there for the same purpose, was totally immense.  It starts here being an ambassador for the games. The excitement is sure to build over the coming weeks as more training days are booked into my calendar. This was a great way to start to my journey and can not wait for part 2.