Ashni Lakhani 

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was a sporting event that people all around the world stopped to watch. World records were broken and feelings of national pride were high in every country involved. The number of tickets purchased at the Paralympics this year was record-breaking with over 2.5 million sold, and I was lucky enough to be part of it. I was a proud Games Maker wearing purple and red, standing at the entrance welcoming the thousands of people entering the Olympic Park in Stratford. My title was “venue entry security”, and I was fortunate enough to work alongside other Games Makers, the RAF, the army, and the police. Every single person I worked with was cheerful, proud and happy to be there. I worked with a different team of volunteers every day, including fellow students and full time parents. Every person had a different background and came from all different parts of the UK; we probably would have never met in daily life, but now, thanks to London 2012, we all have something in common. The 4:30am wake-ups did not deter a single person from high-fiving hyper children and answering questions from the spectators who were all as excited as us to be there.

The summer of sport in London has left a legacy not just economically, but also as an inspiration to so many others who have been trying out new activities they never would have previously considered.  Each time I think about the spontaneous standing ovations at the opening and closing ceremonies for the 70,000 volunteers, and the giant smiles I received on the train when wearing my uniform, I beam with pride, and I will remember this feeling for my entire life.

Categories: Arts

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