Congratulations!
Start preparing, this is your official invitation to be a Rio 2016 Olympic Games volunteer ….
…. And welcome to Rio!
This is a letter i have been waiting for the past 2 years – since I signed up to become a volunteer at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, right after the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
My dad was a volunteer in the Sochi Winter Olympics. After the games he was asked to talk about his experience on an Estonian TV news show called – Ringvaade. When I was watching them talk about their experience in the games and also the journey getting there, I thought to myself, why not?
That little impulsive thought lead me to Google and find the volunteer application page for Rio Summer Olympics in 2016. I had a hope that I would be one of the chosen ones, but didn’t dare to put much certainty in it. As the time past, my hope was more and more fading, because there was no communication or feedback from Rio. Until november 2015…
On the 30th of November 2015, I received an email congratulating me and telling me that I am now certainly on the volunteers list for Rio 2016.
WOW! What? Really?
…were the first thoughts in my head when I opened the email. Next steps were that I called to my family and shouted them the news as well. I could not be happier at that point. I was the happiest person at work and in whole Denmark. It was a news I had waited and longed for over a year.
But then came another radio silence.
It turned out that the real confirmation is an invitation letter with my task and venue on it. But that wasn’t with the confirmation mail. So I waited, together with many, many volunteers hopeful to receive their invitation letter to start buying tickets, accommodation and more.
The Facebook group for volunteers has been the comfort place for all potential volunteers, as that is the only place where you can expect a quick answer. And people have a lot of questions. Apart from questions, it is also a place where people share their joy of receiving an invitation letter, support each other throughout the journey and also help with finding accommodation. It has quickly become a community.
….and then it finally arrived!
25th March 2016, was the day where I opened my mailbox and found an email from Rio. It was my invitation letter. I had finally got my confirmation and job task!
I AM GOING TO RIO! – was a theme song i was singing the whole day. And indeed I am.
The plan is to have 2 weeks vacation in Brazil before the Games start and then atleast 10 days of volunteering. It is going to be amazing!
I will make updates about my journey in Brazil, so follow up because you don’t want to miss it! I know I won’t. 😀