We Brits are feeling pretty pleased with ourselves. We may be small, but we can certainly put on a show! First the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, then the Olympic Games, and now, the Paralympics. Even people not wildly into sport had to admit it was good. Folk were helpful, friendly and tolerant. The 80,000 (mainly) British supporters who crowded into the stadium each day, cheered not just for their fellow countrymen and women, but for all the valiant athletes who took part. They were fair-minded and generous in their support and admiration. The newspaper coverage was all positive. ‘The best games ever’. For once, I was proud to be a Brit. Yes indeed, the games brought out the best in everyone. Or almost everyone.
It’s a shame that such occasions can bring out the best, but sadly, the worst in folk. Take the experiences of my acquaintance, Anne, who was one of the volunteer ‘gamesmakers’, who gave up three weeks of the summer by performing all the necessary background, unseen task to help keep things running smoothly. They had no say in what role they were given. Anne was assigned to be a driver, to ferry VIPs around the various venues.
“To be honest, I wasn’t too pleased to get that particular job”. She told us. “In my opinion, no-one is more important than anyone else. We are all equal in God’s eyes”.
But one small perk of being a volunteer was that she got to watch some of the events when time allowed. Anne witnessed the long jump for blind competitors. To someone with reasonable eyesight, it is almost inconceivable to think that anyone with near total blindness would be able to perform this particular event, and so Anne described to us in great detail, just how they overcame their disability with the assistance of guides and mentors. The huge crowd was asked to be quiet so that the athlete could hear his/her cue.
“It was truly amazing to experience that. The overwhelming noise in the stadium fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.The request was universally respected.”
Then, these unsung heroes, the mentors and guides first positioned the athletes at the end of the runway, then stood at the far end, immediately in front of the pit, and with a series of claps, getting faster as the jumper neared the take-off point, helped indicate the progress up the runway, before stepping out of the way when the athlete hit the board and launched into the unknown.
“Such implicit trust in another.” Anne marvelled.”It was a most humbling thing to see.”
But then, there was the VIP……The BMW 5 series that had been allocated for Anne’s use was kept in the car pool. Each time it was taken out, it had to be security checked, and likewise, on its return. Most of the Olympic venues were within easy walking distance of .the main stadium, but to drive there was quite a different proposition, which involved leaving the pool, going through the security checks, driving a circuitous, one-way route around part of London, to re-enter the complex at the far side, on to the destination, then back to the pool and check-in.
Anne did this jaunt many times, and got quite used to both the procedures and that particular part of the capital city.
One evening, having arrived to take a certain individual to his venue, she was told she could hand over the keys, since he would be wanting to use the vehicle later. This was against all the Olympic protocol, so Anne had to tell him this wasn’t possible, and that she must return the car to the pool. And besides, the particular destination this time was, according to Anne, no more than 500 yards away, it was a beautiful summer’s evening, so not unreasonably, she suggested it might be more sensible to walk, rather than have to go through all the above. He declined and insisted on being chauffeured there.
“I couldn’t help but be struck by the huge differences in attitudes, between the brilliant athletes, who had trained for years under the most trying of circumstances, probably at huge cost, their guides, who got no recognition for their vital role, but without whose help the long jumpers couldn’t function, and the self-importance of some people who had money, status and no such physical disadvantages. In situations like that, you certainly see the best and the worst in people!”
Across the pond... Penny
