Athletes celebration parade

So we celebrated, celebrated, celebrated, and what a day long celebration is was!

With a mixture of sadness and excitement I made my way to London Town via Nottingham in my uniform for the very last time.  I could sense the same excitement building up again that I had experienced during Games time! 

I arrived into London Town for 11.00am and headed straight to The Mall.  It was great to see some many Games Makers around, making their way to The Mall.  I hooked up with a group of random Games Makers and we all headed off together.  Feeling proud and over the moon at being in the capital again!  Once we arrived outside the designated entrance we queued patiently.



Doing what we do best......

As the gates opened we made our way to The Mall, what a vantage point I got, right at the front baby!  Our section soon became full of the Games Maker family and it was fantastic.  We all stood around exchanging stories about the Games, we we've been doing since finishing our shifts, got involved in a Mexican wave (a few times) and asked the Police to take some pics.  They where more than obliging and loved joining in on the fun.  It was once again an Olympic carnival atmosphere!  We could all feel the excitement building up, waiting for the final chapter in our Olympic journey to begin.

Spot the Games Maker lol!

Then the parade began.  Float after float after float of athletes, showing off their medals, we clapped, we cheered, and some cried as the parade made it's was down The Mall.  What an amazing spectacle it was.  It was a fantastic opportunity to get up and close and thank the athletes for an absolutely amazing Summer of games.  They all beamed with pride, showing off their medals and waving and clapping as they went by!  Each and everyone of the athletes acknowledged us Games Makers and thanked us all for our work during the Games.  It was an incredible feeling, especially as the majority of floats carried thank you messages for the Games Makers!  The whole Mall exploded as the parade moved along.

I made it happen!

As the parade ended it was time for several thank you speeches and a special fly pass by The Red Arrows.  What a fitting tribute to an awesome day of celebrations!


Awesome display!

As the parade ended we made our way to a rendezvous point where a group of Games Makers where going to meet for a bite to eat, before we all departed for the last time on our final journeys home!  As we made our way out of The Mall we spotted some of the Team GB athletes coming out of The Mall and managed to stop by the roadside to take some more pics.  Lucky we did, as quite a few athletes followed, all walking back down the side of The Mall.  Managed to take advantage of the situation and took some great shots of the athletes and their medals!

Go Team GB!

As we made our way to our final meeting place the restaurant was full of Games Makers.  The atmosphere was amazing, Games Makers all over the place!  It was great to meet up with volunteers who I'd not seen since the Olympics and I even met some for the first time at our last meeting, ironic!

I didn't stay for long, as I had to make my way back to train station for my train home.  I made my way around and chatted briefly to as many Games Makers as possible, stopped for the occasional pic.  Soon it was time to leave and say my final goodbyes.  It was a sad time, the last time we'd all be together, in our Uniforms, in London Town, amongst such great friends and in such a wonderful atmosphere :(

Some of the Aquatics Games Makers!

A great team, great friends, a fantastic day and then we departed our separate ways to head home. 

On my final leg home waiting for the East Midlands Mainline train to Nottingham, 6 other Games Makers caught the same train home as me.  I was not alone, a nice way to end an amazing day!

A selection of images from the day can be seen here.

#thankyougamesmakers

It's the day before the Mayor of London's Olympic and Paralympic parade.  Thousands of Games Makers will be converging together for the final time - this is going to be absolutely awesome! Many will be arriving into London Town today and I can not wait to catch-up with friends again and soak up the Games atmosphere for the very last time.

A couple of great links, which I just had to share with you all:

• A special message for the London 2012 Games Makers from some of the Olympic and Paralympic spectators who have valued the work you've done this Summer - take a bow Games Makers, we deserve it!!! Here is the awesome link.

• Eddie Izzard jumps on the back of messages from athletes who want to say thank you to the London 2012 volunteers - Games Makers and London Ambassadors. Spread the word and get all the volunteers wearing their uniform with pride for one big day of celebration on Monday 10 September.  Listen to his message here

Hope you all enjoy watching the closing ceremony and athletes parade tomorrow.

Remember people - #thankyougamesmakers!!!

I've got a golden ticket!

Need I say more.........

We’re delighted to let you know that you have been successful in the ballot for a place to watch the 10 September Athletes’ Parade in the special, reserved standing areas around the Mall.

The parade is being organised by the Mayor’s Office, the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association, and will be a fantastic celebration of the Games that you have worked so hard to deliver.

To claim your place, you will need to RSVP to an email from 'Athletes Parade' / info@paralympics.org.uk which you will receive in the next couple of days.

Please look out for this email and RSVP to it immediately.

You will then be sent further instructions about what to bring, where to go and what to expect on the day. If you have any questions about your ticket to the parade.

Olympic fever has returned......

So the opening ceremony for the paras kicked off in great style and as a result Olympic fever has returned!  It was great to see such a contrast between the 2 opening ceremonies, both very different and both amazing to watch.

The amazing paralympic logo

I've received my email to enter the draw for the victory parade for the Olympics, taking place on the 10th September, which I've entered, so fingers crossed I am selected and can take part.  If I am unsuccessful then I am will be lining the route with fellow volunteers anyway, so for me, it's a win win situation!  So looking forward to going back to London Town again on the 10th and meeting up with some great friends.  I've missed the hustle and bustle, volunteers and Olympic atmosphere of London Town since returning from the games.

Quite a few volunteers I've kept in touch with are now back again volunteering at the paras.  I'm envious that I didn't get the opportunity again but the pressure of work and lack of leave prevented me from going.  I'll have to settle for watching the sport on the TV this time, rather than actually being there.  Although it does seem rather surreal to see the sport in the Aquatics Centre, especially as I was based there during the Olympics.  Proof below that I was there, not that anyone needs reminding of the fact! 

The amazing Aquatics Centre, with the whale like roof!

I am amazed and now know why the athletes taking part are called 'super humans!'  I recently watched team GB play Germany at basketball and they game was amazing.  Extremely aggressive, very physical and great to watch.  It's unbelievable how these athletes are able to perform so well and don't allow their disability to hinder them in any way!  If spectators are not inspired to get of their backsides and do something after watching them, then I don't know what else will motivate them.

Looking forward to watching the remainder of the paras, especially some new and interesting sports!  Also keeping my fingers crossed that I am successful and can take part in the victory parade on the 10th, watch this space!

Priceless memorabilia

Been back for just over a week now and still finding it hard adjusting to normality.  I thought going back to work would help but the first day back yesterday was hard.  Driving to work just does not compare to walking along Stratford Bridge and onto the Olympic Park!  I guess as time goes by it will become easier.

I've managed to sort through my goodies from the Olympics and decided to frame a few of them.  I'd rather see them everyday, then have them archived away where nobody can see them.  The kids have been so excited at the sight of all my stuff that I enlisted their help to frame the goodies!  Check out their results below, a pretty awesome attempt:

Well they are now all displayed proudly in my home, so I can show family and friends when they visit!

My thoughts are already turning to what I can do next.  Been thinking about the Winter Games, Russia or the Commonwealth Games, Glasgow in 2014.  I will endeavour to apply for the next Olympics in Rio in 2016 for defo - fingers crossed I am successful.  Could do with a nice holiday in Brazil!

Volunteers Games Maker goodies!

Trying to sort through my mammoth collection of items I've seemed to have collated over the last three weeks but cannot sum up the energy to do anything.  Think I have Games fever!!!  I want to go back to the Olympic Park and meet up with fellow volunteer Games Makers again, missing them and the hussle and bussle of Olympic life!



The best ticketing team ever!


Whilst working as a volunteer and checking in for a shift I was given limited edition pin badges to help me along the way through my shifts.  After every couple of shifts I was awarded a pin badge, until I had the full collection of Gold, Silver, Bronze and multi-coloured pin badges.  This was a great idea, helped with motivation and also an incentive to complete my shifts, not that I needed one! 



Awarded to me for my shift work!

 Once I had completed my final shift I received a few more surprises for all my gallant efforts as a volunteer. 



My final pin badge - thank you Jacques!




Great certificate!

 The best gift of all, baton for all volunteer Games Makers.  This is an absolute awesome present and will be displayed proudly.

Adios, auf wiedersehen, au revoir for now!

So the 30th Olympiad had finally come to an end.  From the winning bid to years of prep, months and weeks of training, I've completed my final shift, arrived home, saddened that the Olympic bubble that I have been living in has finally burst, but all good things must come to an inevitable end!

I've met some realy truly amazing volunteer Games Makers, seen spectators from all over the world and still can not believe I helped to host the greatest show on earth.  What a show it was!  Team GB securing more gold medals than we ever thought was possible, what a party the opening and closing ceremonies where!  So so many memories, so many smiles, great experiences, many many favourite and special moments, which will live with me forever.  Feeling rather down now and missing the day to day activity of the Olympic Park I am finding it hard to complete this blog entry!

As a way to compensate, my thoughts are already turning towards my next adventure - maybe the Glasgow commonwealth games in 2014, perhaps Sochi Winter games in 2014 or even Rio in 2016 - decisions, decisions!!!

Friendships are born on the field of athletic strife and are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.

We will never forget the smiles, the kindness and the support of the wonderful volunteers (Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee)