Paralympic Opening Ceremony Day
For the duration of the Paralymics we have handed our news pages over to Bookings Assistant, Sarah Dodds who is taking time out of the office to work as a runner on the Paralympic Games for one of our international broadcast clients. Here’s how her first day went.
It’s not often your first day at work ends in fireworks…
And it certainly didn’t begin that way. On arriving, my first reaction was pure angst – everyone else in the team had already had two days to find their feet and learn how to navigate the Park, which was still a complete maze to me.
My first day was mostly filled with round trips to the IBC, running laps of Westfield shopping centre trying to find cheap cushions, carrying my body weight in sandwiches and being searched by security at least once an hour. I guess I must have a suspicious face…
My hard work didn’t go unnoticed, however, and I was lucky enough to bag one of our group’s free tickets to the opening ceremony and enjoyed a night out that only be described as beautifully choreographed, inspiring, even magical
My first day really made me appreciate how much effort goes into something like this. It only comes around bi-centennially, but it’s over so quickly. Although I knew there would be a lot of work (something my friends seem to take pleasure in reminding me!), it takes standing at a laminating machine for an hour to fully appreciate how much work goes in behind the scenes, into things that the general public may not even realise are happening, to co-ordinate such a huge event.
And yet, it’s so worth it.
Bring on the next 11 days.