As the Paris 2024 Olympics come to an end, many of those who attended were already reminiscing the good times spent at the prestigious event. Just recently, a Malaysian woman has shared her journey on how she was picked to be a volunteer at the Olympics!
M’sian woman shares how she was picked to become a volunteer at the Olympics
On her Facebook post, Andrea shared that the month of July to August is truly one of the highlights of her life, as she has managed to cross out one of her bucket lists. Speaking to Wau Post, Andrea mentioned that participating in the Olympics as a volunteer has always been a goal she was striving for.
Source: Andrea (Facebook)
“It was always my dream to volunteer in the Olympics in my 20s. After years of hard work, I managed to save enough money for this trip and I told myself, if I wasn’t selected, I would never apply again”, she said.
Adding on to that, Andrea mentioned that the only reason she wouldn’t apply again if she failed was because she didn’t want to waste her time on a goal that was set for her to complete in her 20s.
“I usually plan my years, a decade at a time. I set goals that I’d like to achieve in my 20s and will work hard for them. If I don’t achieve them, I just take it as it is and move on”, she mentioned.
Source: Andrea (Facebook)
An unforgettable experience
Sharing more about her journey and application process, Andrea applied to become a volunteer back in 2023. In December 2023, she was notified that she has been selected as a substitute. With that said, it meant that this was her only chance to volunteer because if she had rejected the offer to become a substitute, her dream to volunteer at the Olympics would end.
“I had to weigh my options because even if I was selected as a substitute, I still had to wait until June 30, 2024, to see if they really needed me”, she said.
Source: Andrea (Facebook)
Thankfully, on June 21, 2024, Andrea was notified by the officials and her goal to becoming a volunteer has officially come true. When asked about her biggest challenge when volunteering, she mentioned that it was definitely the language barrier. As she could only speak English, Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia, it was difficult for her to interact with people.
However, the little setback did not stop her from enjoying her experience. Being in extremely close proximity with world class athletes was an experience that even money can’t buy.
Au revoir Paris!
Spending over 2 weeks in Paris, Andrea mentioned that this entire trip has costed her over RM10,000 to prepare. However, the experience and memories she garnered was incredible. When asked if there were rules to abide to when volunteering, she mentioned that they were rather lenient.
“They did set rules about us not being able to film or take pictures when we’re at duty, but many of them just did it anyway”, she said. She emphasised that as long as the volunteers didn’t affect the competition or the athletes, it’s alright for them to take pictures.
Source: Andrea (Facebook)
Concluding the short interview, Andrea mentioned that she was really happy that she was given the opportunity to experience such a wonderful opportunity.
For those who are wondering, the next Olympics will be held in 2028, at Los Angeles! Would you volunteer? Let us know!
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Also read: “I wish my father could see this”, 19yo Sabahan wins gold medal for high jump in SUKMA
