Lifestyle :: 2010 Paralympics: Day 1

It was one of those mornings when the alarm is going off and you wonder what exactly you’re getting up at 05:15 for again … first day of Paralympic competition … right.

The only hitch was being the last person on the bus, again. It hadn’t started to roll away but the 05:50 bus was soon to take off.

A quiet bus ride to Whistler Paralympic Park, some furtive glances towards the end there but too early to really interact with people.

07:03 and I’m remembering all of these times from memory, I’m impressed, we have had our assignment for the day in Event Services, as Hosts.

I’ve been given a sport card. Tomorrow it will probably be different, but this was a good start – what I wanted, and close to the action.

The first role is acquiring a radio and inform Sport 10 (I being Sport 20) that a client with special requirements (young children, wheelchair, a blown knee from yesterdays moguls) has arrived on the shuttle … and someone is to come escort them to seating in the bleachers.

Lunch around 10:45 and monitoring exits upon returns. Athletes hop out past me through the mix zone where journalists (accredited), photographers, and broadcasters all vie for interviews or photographs as the athletes finish their qualification or medal event.

The middle of the day is spent access monitoring – either you have a very intense look (Russian) look and no amount of English will stop you from barging past me, a “4” (for zone control) or yellow E as part of the accreditation indicating a member of the press.

Some understand, some are belligerent – the Host is expected to do the best they can, asking for accreditation if the two requirements are not visible to them.

The afternoon, the best part - back on the radio, escorting people from the bleachers in reverse direction – to the shuttle to take them where they needed to go.

And an afternoon with a real and memorable story – albeit brief.

Anne-Mette Bredahl (didn’t know her name at the time) was making her way towards the wax rooms and needed some assistance – the person guiding her ended up hopping on the shuttle but ended up asking if I could escort her, Norwegian cameras rolling alongside me, documenting her experience. She gently took the crook of my arm like the best of dates I’ve been with – the other hand guiding a walking stick on the pavement.

We walked cautiously to the Danish Wax Trailer. I opened the door and she instinctively went to her bag. The zipper caught so I finished the job for her and carried her bag back – she requested a pit stop – so I watched her bag as she entered the Race Center bathroom.

Squawking on the radio was Sport 30 and Sport 10 – wondering if I could escort more clients to the shuttle.

“I’m escorting an athlete – it’ll be one minute.”

We left the restroom, making our way back to the cobblestones paving the path between the Paralympic Family Lounge ( requirement = #6), I passed her gingerly off to my supervisor.

“This is a Danish skier – she’s great.”

I took off to escort the next group.

More on this one story as a piece of more of what I saw today, tomorrow. You now know as much about Event Services (and being a Host) as I do.