Day 10 Olympics - Our Last Shift

Carry the Olympic Spirit, February 18

This is our last night of volunteering and I am filled with so many emotions: happy, sad, grateful and a dozen more I can’t even name because everything is jumbled together.

We arrive extra early to the venue so we can say goodbye to Francesco, our very first contact with the Games. He interviewed us last July, via zoom, along with three other hopefuls.

Francesco has been zooming in a different way during the Games - between the ice hockey venue and our figure skating venue. The fact that he’s here for our last day seems like a coup, we are so glad to see him and get a chance to hug and say good-bye.

Together the three of us sit in the volunteer lounge area sipping drinks and reminiscing. We tell him our volunteer stories and thank him a thousand times, which will never be enough for us.

Francesco is the embodiment of the Olympic spirit.

Always helpful, always friendly, always kind, always greeting us with a big smile. He makes us feel like the most important people here.

The best leaders on the volunteer team do this consistently.

The best volunteers do this too - just like Hao, Curtis’ buddy from China. Everyone loves “that sweet, young guy” and he’s earned a reputation as being one of the nicest on the crew.

We see Hao after saying goodbye to Francesco. He’s in a hurry to get to his volunteer shift, but not before bestowing some of his Chinese pins on us.

I’m thrilled because these pins are some of the favorites of the Games - people love the pandas!

(Pin on left is Chinese Volunteer pin, on right is short track skater - look at those little skates!!)

In return, we give Hao three of our buttons.

He’s so touched by this gesture, but also concerned.

“Oh, you gave me three, and I gave you two.” This doesn’t sit well with him and we can sense his internal conflict. We assure him his pins are way better than our buttons.

The three of us swim in the sweetest circle of friendship right here. I want to bottle it all up as a forever keepsake.

Instead, the pins will do this work for us.

Curtis puts his arm on Hao’s shoulder and we take photos, exchange LinkedIn profiles and WhatsApp accounts, and off he goes to his shift.

Curtis and I grab a table in the volunteer lounge again, and soon Hao has returned, looking for us.

He’s brought us another pin.

The pin of all pins.

We say, “No, Hao you’ve already given us two beautiful pins!” And then realize we must accept it, the gift is so generous and the aspect of reciprocity so central.

“You cannot trade this,” he tells us, “It is only given to Chinese athletes, and my favorite Chinese athlete gave it to me.” We promise to never trade. He motions, “Don’t put it on your neck, put someplace safe, yes, in the backpack.” Curtis stuffs it deep into the bottom of his bag.

Hao explains the significance of the pin which includes Tina the mascot, a panda, Year of the Horse, Chinese character fu representing happiness and good fortune. Plus the Chinese flag and Olympic logo.

China packed it all in with this pin.

And Hao packed it full of love. Bringing his best Olympic spirit along with it. We are deeply touched, and honored.

Now the time for our last shift has finally arrived. We check in at the Workforce Center and I get the final gift, another pin.

Curtis gets all the gifts at once, then heads to the locker room where it is not quite 150 degrees tonight. He’s the lone person there most of the night.

I’m back at ticketing, Melania and crew at my side.

Melania takes my photo with the Carabinieri (national military police) because she knows I’m obsessed with their gorgeous uniforms designed by Giorgio Armani.

I want to put my arms around him and get a little closer but I don’t think he wants that.

Here’s some Carabinieris I saw in the city - those capes and boots!

I go back to my ticket scanning post to act more professional.

Meanwhile Curtis manages the Korea, Poland, Turkey and Ukraine short track athletes tonight.

In the locker room, one of the Netherlands skaters asks for a vacuum. Curtis isn’t supporting this team tonight, but their volunteer is nowhere to be found. He orders them a vacuum.

Soon a guy arrives with a vacuum and begins vacuuming all around Curtis.

“What are you doing?” Curtis asks.

“You call for vacuum!” he says.

“Not for me!” Curtis says, trying to clear up the miscommunication, “Netherlands,” he says, pointing. And off goes the vacuum man.

Soon athletes march down the corridor to the ice for their competition rounds.

They wait to be introduced. Curtis can hear everyone wishing a happy birthday to one of the Netherlands skaters in (you guessed it) orange.

Curtis peeks into the ice when he gets a chance, at the same place athletes enter for their competition.

I never have a meal with Curtis because our dinner breaks don’t overlap.

Tonight there is lemon cake for dessert and Curtis tries to take two before the woman says, “No, no, only one!” handing him a single slice and then two mandarin oranges although he says he only wants one.

After dinner, redeployment tries to send Melania and me to the busiest section in the arena, and Melania says, “No!” I crack up at her.

Always listen to an Italian woman who says no.

“Too busy there!” she says. After ten shifts, we both feel tired tonight. We get cushy roles inside the rink, managing the entrance to a section.

Tonight is the women’s short track 3000 meter relay final, and the men’s 500 meter final, and we have the best view in the house.

These skaters are a mystery to me. How in the world do they stay on their skates? (Well, many don’t. That is the life of short track after all).

The women’s relay thrills. The women are strong and powerful and fluid on the ice. Bellissima!, as the Italians would say.

Tonight the medal award ceremonies are done by 10:00pm and we all don’t know what to do with ourselves with this early ending. The arena clears out quickly and soon it’s time to make our way home.

Melania, biggest Olympic spirit of all, hugs me goodbye one last time, well, three more times and then once more again. I will really miss her. She is the best kind of force in the world.

The Olympic spirit has shone through bright and clear during our time here. All the beautiful people that have surrounded us over these past weeks are etched in our memories, bound in our hearts.

Curtis and I are filled up with the goodness of God and the people he’s blessed us with. People who have saved us from a disappointed view of the world.

Instead, God flung the doors of celebration wide open for Curtis and me. And we ran through them like Olympians in pursuit of gold.

This invitation is for each one of us. Carry the Olympic spirit, carry the spirit of God. Run through the doors with all your might.

See what God does!

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THANK YOU for following along on our Olympic volunteer journey! I loved all your comments and hope you enjoyed a sneak peek behind the curtain.

LA28 Olympic volunteer applications are now open! Apply! Who knows, you could have the time of your life!

https://la28.org/en/faqs/volunteer-with-la28.html

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