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Not Going To Vancouver But...


Rominger

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Hello everyone,

I haven´t posted in a while. To be more precise 4 months and 1 day, a.k.a October 2nd A.M. Will post again on Rio´s forum, but I would like to share this with you guys.

Unfortunately, I won´t go to Vancouver as a volunteer. Although I´ve applied in advance, got in touch with those at VANOC and everything else, apparently I wasn´t called because I didn´t have an accomodation secured in Vancouver/Whistler, after months waiting for an answer (as a matter of fact, I´ve never received any answer from VANOC and probably never will). I was really upset about this since, 4 years ago, this was something that really wasn´t asked at any moment (way to go Torino!).

Anyway, life goes on and, as a cross country skier (long story), I spent my weeks of vacation last month competing in a couple of races in Europe. Meanwhile, I got a call from the cable sports channel that will broadcast here the Vancouver Olympic Games and I will be a comentator for Biathlon, Nordic Combined and maybe some cross-country races. Very happy with that!!! :D:D

I will be talking from here, which means I have to talk about what I see on the tube as the rest of you, but still I will, in some way, take part of the Games.

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Good luck as a commentator, Rominger, that's really great! Who knows what can you do at Rio2016! ;)

Of course I'm sorry you can't volunteer in Vancouver.

I was also at the Torino Games like you and had a really great time! Great memories! :)

Thanks!

Well, I think one of the reasons I was chosen was because, as you can imagine, there aren´t many countrymates who follow/practice nordic sports here. For summer sports, they have lots of athletes who went to the Olympics (or some famous coaches) that already commentate in past Olympics. Will be happy to work again in 2014.

As for Torino, I have a friend who went with me and is in Vancouver to be a volunteer one more time, and he is saying that, so far, Vancouver is worse than Torino regarding food and clothes for volunteers.

...how I miss those days at Sestriere!!!! :)

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Hi Rominger,

nice to see/read you again!!!

I cross my fingers for your job in Vancouver!!!

Thanks CAF. Will return to 2016 after Vancouver is done.

But I won´t go to Vancouver, I will stay here in Rio, like I said in the last sentence of my first post.

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Our Athletes Village is much, much nicer. ;)

And in this point you are definetly right. The Torino Village was in the middle of downtown, just a set of regular buildings, nothing special. Vancouver is waaaay better in this point.

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Really? I heard the opposite from folks who volunteered there: poor training, paid staff treating them like poop...I know the folks from Vanoc that were in the observer program were stunned by some of the stuff they saw--or experienced themselves.

I'm sorry you're disappointed, but the 2010 application is clear that folks with accommodation in either corridor (Vancouver or Sea-to-Sky) will get preference. The FAQs also clearly state that not everyone will be contacted about their application--only successful applicants will be.

But so far I'm sick of sandwiches...egg salad in particular...but we went operational in early December. Rumour has it the night shift gets chili!

Those days were great, really.

Nobody treated the volunteers so good like Torino!

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Well really. I always heard from the other volunteers that that they were treated like "poop" in Salt Lake City and that it was way much, much better in Torino.It seems that in every Olympics they say the same about the precedent...

I personally made so many training sessions from 2004, two years before the Games, until the beginning of the Games. And they always treated me more than well.

And our uniforms were soooo much better, they gave us also the boots. I have heard so many complaints about the clothing in Vancouver. But with the high temperatures there, I guess it's more than enough... :lol:

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Everything about team 2010 is great. A lot of what they provide is "cheap" but remember they are trying very hard to be economical and efficient for THOUSANDS of people.

Now with security in full force they have said that services will be far more comfortable since there are tight restrictions on bringing things into venues now, especially at BC place and the village.

I've actually met some volunteers in person who think that working for 2010 is bad, but they are really unhelpful and generally have bad attitudes. I've had to deal with one or two myself that just stood in the way and complained. It's very demoralizing when you see some ignorant punk or middle-aged professional woman who feels a sense of entitlement go up to a supervisor and tell them that the free food is garbage, or how they don't like to wait so long for confirmations, or how after working on something for 8 hours they decide to say, and I direct quote "Doing (type of work) was rubbish. Back in (other sporting event here) I NEVER had to do that kind of amateur work." People have SERIOUSLY been saying that. I could name 5 individuals by name who've gone off like this in some fashion and couldn't name a couple more.

I've even witnessed a minor shouting match because some young kid no older than 20 decided that he didn't have to show up on time because "VANOC took too long confirming my position. I had to wait until SEPTEMBER. That is OUTRAGEOUSLY LATE! So obviously they don't think time is an issue!"

In general, you're working for FREE and even though the supervisors and service providers are paid they are working incredibly hard to accommodate everybody and we should all be thankful for anything we do get out of it. It's really disgusting how some people can find complaints with a once in a lifetime opportunity that THOUSANDS of people (including poor Rominger) didn't even get a call back for.

As Judge Judy would say, OUT-rageous! :)

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I know there are still some European volunteers that are waiting to know their shifts/working places in Vancouver. They have been told that they are chosen to be volunteers but they don't know anything else. They were chosen after an telephone interview, and they didn't have any training or whatsoever...maybe they'll do that when they come to Vancouver...

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Not thinking about changing the thread topic (but actually changing a little ;)), but I also worked at SLC, but not as a volunteer (at the Superstore, where it was a completely different process), and I worked really hard without much confort, specially regarding food. The worst day was Monday after the CC, when some brilliant guy simply turned off the heater and everyone was freezing for most of the night. Still, even with that, I had a great time and will never forget those days.

At that time, I was able to chill at the volunteers´ lounge, namely a Greyhound station, and I saw that food wasn´t really that great either for the vounteers, although the amount of food was way better than what I got.

I was expecting that when I got to Torino, but when I saw in Sestriere (and also at the Cesena venue, where I´ve eaten once there - long story) I was really surprised: an all-you-can-eat buffet, with plenty of food for everyone. Here in Rio, during PanAm Games, almost all of the volunteers got a lunch box and that is it, and lots of people complained about it.

I don´t know really what should be the standard procedure here, but my friend wasn´t really complaining, only comparing what it was in Torino and Vancouver. He is a NOC assistant (guess which country...) and has other advantages that he is enjoying. The only thing people shouldn´t do is start bragging about being explored. After all, people are volunteers and, as the name self explains, everything they provide is a bonus for the time they spent working. Some of them think they should be privileged.

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BTW Rominger, just to let you know, today opens the new Olympic museum in the center of Torino, "Il museo delle Olimpiadi Torino2006".

It is entirely dedicated to Torino Games. They didn't forgot us volunteers, so inside the museum there is a big poster with names of all the volunteers written, so there's also your name on it! :)

I'm going to visit it ASAP! :)

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I don't know if the catering is different between venues and village, but all volunteers i know in both villages (Vancouver & Whistler) are very happy with the food.

Sure, Torino's one was good... but not varied. Even with some choice (if you did not come to late), it was rather the same everyday at both lunch & diner.

Regarding uniforms... no comparison possible... more items at Torino... pair of shoes... a free backpack !!!!

Edited by memorabilia
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BTW Rominger, just to let you know, today opens the new Olympic museum in the center of Torino, "Il museo delle Olimpiadi Torino2006".

It is entirely dedicated to Torino Games. They didn't forgot us volunteers, so inside the museum there is a big poster with names of all the volunteers written, so there's also your name on it! :)

I'm going to visit it ASAP! :)

Just PM you. If you can do the favour, I will be very happy.

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BTW Rominger, just to let you know, today opens the new Olympic museum in the center of Torino, "Il museo delle Olimpiadi Torino2006".

It is entirely dedicated to Torino Games. They didn't forgot us volunteers, so inside the museum there is a big poster with names of all the volunteers written, so there's also your name on it! :)

I'm going to visit it ASAP! :)

If you're interested there are some pics of the Olympic museum here http://olimpiadi.blogosfere.it/2007/03/torino-olimpiadi-forever-reportage-fotografico.html

Enjoy!

jpg_1849456.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

I don't know if the catering is different between venues and village, but all volunteers i know in both villages (Vancouver & Whistler) are very happy with the food.

Sure, Torino's one was good... but not varied. Even with some choice (if you did not come to late), it was rather the same everyday at both lunch & diner.

Regarding uniforms... no comparison possible... more items at Torino... pair of shoes... a free backpack !!!!

I have to update my post.... After enjoying the Olympics in a different way i entered a volunteer's position for the Paralympics... And after 2 days of work, and 2 lunches... and after discussing with all my fellow colleague... i should say that meals are not at all at the same levels than the one at the Villages....

A soup, a sandwich, a fruit and a cereal bar and that's it (no more... and never twice sandwiches...) !!!!! I already missed all the good hot meals from Torino (even if often the same, but each day we have choice of several hot different dishes...) that we could serve ourself several time.....

Disappointed... and what a way to treat all their volunteer that VANOC try to celebrate at any time in their speeches...

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