The Spirit of the Olympic Games

A number of people have asked me this week about my Games Maker experience which has triggered my process for reflection.  On a day to day basis I enjoyed myself about 40% of the time.  I think the reason for the low score is that I was disappointed that I was not able to contribute more and use my skills and abilities.  I was so caught up in Olympic fever and the spirit of the Games that I wanted to work hard, to feel that I was doing something valuable and worthwhile and never quite reconciled the fact that I wasn’t expected to do anything other than to just stand, smile and greet the public pleasantly and not see any sport.  I had not anticipated that there would be a lot of inactive down time, standing around doing nothing for hours.  But when I was busy, giving useful advice to spectators, helping people on to mobility buggies, I did get a buzz from it.  I worked with a handful of interesting, fun people but mostly there was little humour.  So it was a mixture of highs and lows.

Much of the positive feedback and appreciation for the GMs was very gratifying and did give us a boost but the reality of daily life was very different.  The outward appearance and willingness of the GMs helped to mask some of the chaos and poor organisation under the surface.  I found it remarkable that there were  no seats next to the mobility stops and no shade for anyone in the Park.  The general public were irritated by the empty seats in the venues and there was confusion over the process of the recycling of seats.  Granted it was a formidable logistical exercise, imposing incredible organisational demands particularly in the deployment of 70,000 volunteers.  In that context I had to remind myself how extraordinary it was that so many people were willing to give so much time and energy for a common goal and for no reward.

What kept me rising at 4.45am and retiring at 2.00 am (not on the same days), working 11 hour days, was the bigger picture. It is what I have been referring to as the spirit of the Games.  The spirit of fair play and competition, the spirit of the home crowds cheering on not just British athletes but those of all nations, the good natured spirit of all the international visitors and volunteers with their abundant enthusiasm, kindness , politeness and joy.  The athletes themselves encouraging and supporting each other.

Most importantly,  it was the sporting events that marked the triumph of the human spirit.  There were extraordinary feats of skills and endurance.  All the athletes were inspirational, demonstrating their courage, flair and passion. And in some cases it was simply the taking part, such as the female athletes from Islamic countries where it is unusual to see women have a prominent place in public - notably Sarah Attar from Saudi Arabia wearing her hijab. Even when faced with disqualification, like Victoria Pendleton, they were graceful.  Almost every event was contested honourably.  There was honest competition and the pursuit of excellence.  It has been amazing for sports lovers everywhere. Team GB did astonishingly well with its 29 gold medal tally and 65 medals in total.  There are now a host of golden post boxes throughout the UK, including one outside Chiswick Town Hall, commemorating each British gold medal performance. The legacy of the sporting heroes will carry on - Bolt, Farah, Hoy, Ennis, Ainslie,  Wiggins, etc.

On top of this there were the stunning ceremonies.  Britain didn’t try to compete with Beijing - instead we did our own thing with history, humour, culture, style and a touch of eccentricity, ending in a huge, music party.  The  venues were both attractive and practical. The army managed security with good humour and added to the atmosphere and success of the event.

I am not the most patriotic of people but I did feel proud that our country could host a world event in an environment of such strong political and economic headwinds and to do it so splendidly.  It has even made us recalibrate our views of London.  The public transport worked faultlessly, disruption on the roads and overcrowding on the Tube was minimal. And people started talking to each other.

The Games turned even the most cynical into complete addicts. It was euphoric! They were the Golden Games and I do feel privileged to have played my very small part.