Working with Coke for the Paralympic Torch Relay was an absolute blast! For nearly 24 hours, torchbearers carried the Paralympic flame around Robson Square. The torchbearers were all incredibly moving to watch, and the people who came out to cheer on the relay were in high spirits as well! We passed out free Cokes, pins, and flowers from both the Olympia ice resurfacing machines (aka-Zambonis, but not made by Zamboni) and in random places around the square. Coca-Cola also had a wheelchair dancing troupe, and they performed every two hours...if you want to see wet tear wells in my eyes, let me watch them perform again...truly touching.
(the first torchbearer to pass our red Olympia...her expression sums up the experience competely)
(I'm the guy in red...furthest to the left)
The fun was enhanced by the frigid rain, which endured until the end of our shift Friday afternoon. Within the hour following our shift's end, the sun came out. How's that for irony? The best memories definitely came about through my work during the late-night shift Thursday night/Friday morning. Along with three other Happiness Ambassadors, I came back to Robson Square at 3am to cheer on some torchbearers selected by Coke. While we were there, we figured we might as well cheer on every torchbearer during the hour. We eagerly ran beside each torchbearer, pumping them up with loud noises, dancing, and creating a crowd to cheer them on with the stragglers still in downtown at that hour. The final Coke torchbearer during the latenight let all of us hold his Paralymipc torch while it was still lit!
After that, we figured we might as well explore the late night fun around Robson Square, and it just so happened that the Robson Square ice skating rink was opened all night for this event. The conundrum: nobody knew it. Therefore, the four of us went ice skating in Robson Square at 4:30 am with one other guest and two skate rink attendants. It was incredible!
Needless to say, by the time we finished skating, it was too late to go back to bed. Thankfully, McDonald's has been passing out free coffee during the first fourteen days of March up here in Canada...I had three cups of coffee between ice skating and the start of Friday's activation at 8:30am. After we finished our Coke work Friday afternoon, we were able to go ziplining over Robson Square. The wait during the Olympics was approximately six hours, however, we had to wait a mere hour-and-a-half for the experience. Totally worth it!
The Paralympics have a much more relaxed feel to them. I met the parents of Gerald Hayden, a U.S. Paralympic alpine skier, on the bus to the athlete's village this morning. They were on route to watch their son compete today, and we had an incredible time talking about the U.S., their son, and the impact of event delays on their composure. (The alpine skiing events were postponed yesterday due to the unmanageable fog...Gerald is competing today for an event he was supposed to have competed in yesterday.)
In a quick nutshell, my job at the Whistler Athlete Village is absolutely incredible. At times, I can't believe I'm getting paid to do this! Oh wait, I'm a volunteer...nevermind. :-) Nonetheless, my (unpaid) job is having fun...and that NEVER gets old. Last night, I participated in some mean games of Rock Band (I was a triple threat, alternating between bass, drums, and vocals) with some athletes. Today, my afternoon task is to decorate the main corridors of the village with snowmen. I think I can handle that!
Your entries inspire me so, so much! Thank you so much for sharing your amazing life with us all. - Sarah
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