It's a once in a lifetime opportunity is the mantra Ian has been chanting at me for months as I have doubted my sanity at applying to be one of the 70,000 volunteer Games Makers at the London 2012 Olympics.  We want to know more about it so write a blog said Catherine and Annette over coffee together in Amsterdam. Even though they both thought I was mad to be doing this work for free, as most of my friends do (Claire especially). I barely know what a blog is was my retort.  Now here I am sitting on a beach in Turkey under a sunshade with time to kill, thinking about the three weeks ahead, writing what I think is a blog and entering the techie world.  Will it be Facebook next? Ann - you were my inspiration with the first of my friend's blogs arriving this morn.
My first shift starts on Monday evening, although I don't finish my training until Tuesday.  Yes, that is right but more of that later.  So the journey begins, as the Locog folk are fond of saying, as does the countdown.  This is my recap of the journey thus far for the benefit of the friends around the world who have not heard it, before I begin my (possibly) daily blog as a day in the life off an Olympics worker. 
First came the interview at London Excel - known as the Event Services Games Maker Selection Event. As an ex BBC employee I wasn't to be deterred by these fancy titles. I did my background research as I had advised countless HR clients in the past but found little to help about practical matters such as were jeans acceptable.  Made my first of many calls to the London 2012 team - no idea was the answer this time and plenty more. Decided to go for the professional, casual look with new blue suede boots and dress. Turns out I could have worn anything and didn't need to wear the too high heels. Still they looked good. Thankfully, Rachel, had previously been interviewed for a volunteer driver position so gave me a heads up with the questions.  Thank goodness she did - they were hard.  So as an ex HR person, I was impressed that they had good, standardised and fair questions.   Despite the early start to get Ben to his new senior school and travel over to East London in time, I took my first steps into the corporate Olympic world of sets and videos and SO many words and met a very friendly guy who made it more fun.  Good job - it all seemed so dry apart from signing my name on a sheet with thousands of others on a wall of messages. The interviewer was a bubbly HR person with children at school so we had things in common and carried on talking as we walked to the shop together to meet Lindsay, an ex HR colleague from Dow Jones, who happened to be the interviewer in the next booth.  Small world, we know, but I had already established she would be there when contacting her the week before despite not being in touch for about a year.  Had a sense she may be involved but no idea she would be in the next booth on that very day.  Those that know me well won't be surprised by this coincidence.
Heard quite quickly via email that I had been selected.  In the meantime, I began my endeavours to navigate the specially created website for the volunteers - have never made much progress.  Next stop, the Orientation Training Day, attending with Rachel.  Another early start on a Saturday morning of all things (should have seen the pattern) to another long distance destination - Wembley.  We had to separate as our numbers kept us apart and the first of the many lines, began, this time to get into the building.  I sat on a tiny seat between a very excited 30 ish year old man in an anorak from Plymouth and a very excited woman in her 20s from East London both of whom seemed happy to whoop it up at any opportunity, making me feel even more like I was missing something.  The lets get excited at anything gene?  Jonathan Edwards, the well known previous GB Olympic gold medallist and devout Christian, opened the morning with "this is the first of many Orientation days so we would be grateful if you didn't tweet, blog etc about it so we can keep it a secret".   However, he did say but you can tweet that I have a great butt - and indeed he did! That kept me amused for 5 mins  after our first Mexican wave for the cameras (who knew it was an Olympic sport?)…. followed by a lets all get excited now ……well there was an interview, conducted by Huw Edwards, with the just as I imagined Lord Seb Coe, followed by a Mexican wave (maybe we were trying out for the wave team), the Locog top brass - the CEO who tried to look casual and regular and the female head of HR - all corporately impressive. These were interspersed with imaginary running commentaries from a sports tv desk showing us different jobs for Games Makers.  But what was my role I wondered, not realising this would become a recurring theme.  I really hoped it wasn't catering, cleaning and waste as Jonathan Edwards had already made jibes about that group a few times followed by a Mexican wave (were we attempting the Olympic record for team waving).  Thank goodness for Eddie Izzard - my tiny saviour (yes not much bigger than me I noticed as we looked into each others eyes as he signed my sheet later and he clicked his heels).  His job was to teach us the mnemonic - I DO ACT and he couldn't remember it.  I love you Eddie!  I have practised it over and still forget it too.  And then a Mexican wave to finish, although by this stage my enthusiasm was under severe strain. Had they forgotten, we're Games Makers not competitors. We're not even to be allowed in the venues…but more of that later.  
Couldn't help discussing with Rachel with all her science and nutrition expertise - was it appropriate for the main sponsors to be McDonalds, Cadburys and Coke.  All fine in moderation she assured me.  So when I come up for air at the end and you next see me, I may have become the super size me!
The third stage, the role training day, or should I say the EVS Staffing Team Member Role Specific Training (RST).  Hurrah! I was finally going to find out my role. I trek over for another early start at some long distance place - this time - Hackney (the Olympic experience is being shared with the far flung corners of London), to join the long queue to enter the building. You know the pattern. We sit down in a room according to our individual numbers.  We do a role playing game which I have now completely forgotten. Followed by a lecture on health and safety.  As I am washing my hands in the toilets, late morning, I ask the professional coach (who did seem quite good - on loan from John Lewis as a fashion buyer manager) the very pertinent question - so what is my role? Come and see me before we recommence and I will tell you she said.  You will be working at the Olympic Park in the common domain I was informed.  I had already established that much previously but what exactly will my role be? You will find out later I  was told.  I soon found out the reason they wanted to keep the information from us for as long as possible.  It was a difficult job that no-one would want to do - sitting in an office for 10 hours checking that people had turned up for their shift, finding replacements and looking for patterns of late attendance or no shows.  Fun!  Didn't they know that I'm far more suited to the turning up late than spending all day looking for other people who have and trying to prevent it.
I saw the penny drop slowly round the room as people began to ask more enquiring and increasingly concerned questions about the role.  So where was our training for this?  Well, we did receive good training on how to try and get into a venue and be thrown out - just in case we had the wrong idea that we were at an exciting venue with lots of activities and might want a glimpse of some of the action.  Of course, we should know that this wasn't possible.  We were only working 10 hour days, at unusual times, in an office for free.
Stage four - collecting the uniform or more formally - the UDAC Games Maker - Uniform and Accreditation Collection.  It began with the same pattern - early trek to the back of beyond, yet more lines, to collect the delectable Stella McCartney designed uniform. Now that would be a real treat if it wasn't for the colour combo, and the khaki slacks (yes that is the right word to describe them) which we most definitely can't roll up.  Who do you know who wears purple and red together?  That's obviously the point that nobody else will look like us! The morning however, goes quite smoothly with each individual uniform item  having its own dedicated person, with their own system about which they all seemed very proud and actually all goes quite smoothly.  The family can't wait to see me in it but am keeping them in suspense for a reason!  Maybe I will sell it on ebay afterwards or keep it for the grandchildren although the umbrella will probably be worn out.
Then came the release of the shifts.  Oh dear!  I had been given a shift pattern that commences at 5.30 am (Olympian levels of lateness are a distinct possibility).  Those that know me well will be coughing and spluttering at the thought. Requiring me to get up at 3.00 am to leave the house at 3.30.  Argh!  There were quite a few of these as well as a couple of late nights finishing at 1.00 to get home at 3.00.  Yes, I know I have done this many times but its usually helped by a number of pink drinks and fun company.  I called London 2012 for advice and was told that it really wasn't a problem as I could easily travel from West to East London by night buses (regardless of the fact this meant going without any sleep). I was told take it or leave it but did manage to eventually find a person, Debbie, who I could email more than once and receive a reply.  I suggested they might want to offer me another position with different hours as I had almost completed my training and received my outfit - it would be a waste otherwise.  I was told they could only offer me a more junior position as a host out on the grounds of the Olympic Park but even these shifts would start at 6.20am (we're probably now looking at silver or bronze level lateness performances now rather than certain gold) and end at 11.00.  Oh but all those extra minutes of sleep make such a difference!  So I took it.  More fun surely to be out with the excited crowds than in an office sorting out boring shifts that no-one wants to do and suggesting they might also turn up on time. Of course this completely threw the Games Maker computer system.  It put me right back to the start insisting that I needed to go for another selection event, role specific training, Mexican Wave practice, etc. Thankfully, my new contact, Debbie, was able to sort it.
And now my first shift is in a few days.  Don't tell anyone but I have not completely finished my training.  They have rostered me to work Monday but I don't have my VST - Venue Specific Training until Tuesday.  Debbie has sorted that too and said she thinks I can get a quick on the spot training for Monday before I attend the proper training on Tuesday. Phew!
So I have been through the hurdles, completed the 800 metres and now in the starting blocks, in my colourful, designer uniform, ready and set but for what?  I still don't know what my role is going to be.  For months I have joked I will be saying toilets this way - maybe I was right.  I know its going to feel like a marathon of 10 hour shifts, 14 hour days, with 2 days off a week (not together), all early or late starts and finishes.  YOU deserve a medal if you have got to here.  However, I have been invited to the technical rehearsal of the Opening Ceremony (they lied, we will be allowed in to a venue and what's the chances of a Mexican wave?) so will be one of the first to see it and will post my views here.  I AM excited about that!