2010

So that exciting thing I was talking about doing the other day? I was at an interview and training session for volunteering for the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics!

About 3 weeks ago I got a call out of the blue for a phone interview, after which they invited me to come to the session that was held on Monday.

It was 4 1/2 hours long, but the time flew by. I got to meet all kinds of people and learned a ton of interesting things about Olympics and Paralympics, both historically, as well as what will be happening here in 2010.

One thing I was especially impressed with is the commitment to sustainability that is a key part of the mandate for the 2010 games. It was evident at the session that they are definitely putting their money where their mouth is. For example, all the printed materials which we worked on were laminated so we could write on them and later they could be wiped clean and reused for another session. No endless photocopying of educational materials or filling recycling bins full of paper. Ingenious!

One of the best things that happened was that I got to hold the Olympic torch for a brief moment! How often do you get the opportunity to do that?! At the end of the day, they gave us binders (our training manual) along with stickers and pins that were made especially for volunteers. I now officially have my first mementos of the games!

I am really excited about the prospect of being even a small part of the 2010 games. Those of you who know me know that when the Olympics is on, everything stops at my house. I eat, breath and dream Olympics. *laughs* My guys are lucky if they even get fed! It's likely going to be a long wait to see who has been accepted though. I was in one of the first groups to go through the interview and training process. They warned us we could be waiting till the summer to hear back but I am hopeful that I will get to live my Olympic dream.

If you'd like to learn more about the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics, you can do so here.