Natalie Hindmarsh talks about her London 2012 volunteering experience...
How did you get to volunteer with the Games?
I was looking to do some volunteering associated with sports and I came across the Sport Cardiff website, home of Cardiff Council's Sports Development team. They were looking for ambassadors in Cardiff, so I applied immediately.
I was accepted to become a volunteer after completing a questionnaire and an informal interview.
What did you do?
I was offered a volunteering opportunity as a Cardiff Host Council Ambassador. My main responsibility was uniform distribution for the Trinidad and Tobago athletics team as they prepared for the Games. Firstly, I had two training days to learn about health and safety, possible terrorist threats, and disability inclusion.
On 15 July, I put on my ambassador polo shirt and went to the Vale hotel in Hensol, where the Trinidad and Tobago team were staying for their pre-Games training before heading to the Olympic village in London.
Part of my role was to help the athletes and officials pack their training, presentation and leisure kit bags. Along with the other volunteers I got stuck in immediately. There was a lot of kit to organise, but it was a great atmosphere as we were in the same room as the athletes and trainers where they were relaxing and getting treatments and massages. There was a lot of interaction with the athletes, for example they came to me with kit issues and I was responsible for helping them.
I also helped put together a bulletin board of newspaper articles from Trinidad and Tobago, so the athletes who wouldn't normally get a chance to read them could stay updated.
How did it feel to be part of the biggest sporting event in the world?
When I first applied, I thought I’d be marshalling around the centre of Cardiff whilst the football was on and hadn't even considered I’d be lucky enough to be so close to an actual team of athletes at their training camp in Wales.
At first I felt very star struck and bashful around the athletes, but the 'team manager' made us feel really welcomed and appreciated. By the end, I had the courage to chat with some and get pictures to show off to my friends! Some of the athletes were in the 'zone' and kept themselves to themselves but on the whole, they were very relaxed and laid back and were happy to chat with us.
The team also very generously fed us with delicious food that was prepared specifically for them, a lot of which was native to the Islands.
I came away from each day feeling really happy and so privileged to have been involved in what is the biggest show on earth. I absolutely loved the whole experience.
Will you be able to use these skills in the workplace?
Yes. It's taught me that I should continue to be proactive in and out of work and seize every opportunity that comes my way. I'm naturally a quiet and reflective person in new situations and sometimes find it uncomfortable. But I made myself speak up and be an active member of the volunteers. I drew on the knowledge that everyone can feel like this at some point and have the same insecurities that I do.
Thanks to Sport Cardiff and the Welsh Government’s volunteering policy, I can say I helped out at our home Olympics.
And as a thank you from the Trinidad and Tobago team, I was allowed to pick a piece of kit to take home with me, so I am now going to wear with pride my jacket with their team name on it!