A 2012 London Ambassador | My Story

London bids farewell to an incredible Olympic Games. It was an Olympics with such human spirit, soul and achievement that we should all be very proud. People from around the world are talking about our great city.

It was an Olympics that truly put the Great back into Great Britain. We embraced these Olympic Games with heart and soul, and as Lord Coe said last night “When our time came, Britain did it right”.

Our athletes have shown us all, that with hard work and commitment you can achieve almost anything in life. They showed us how to compete with grace and humility, and in turn made us all so proud to be British. Clare Balding put it so clearly when she said “Where there is happiness, there is nearly always success, and here is the key to our future as a nation.”

As a volunteer, I have seen the effect this has had on everyone… tourists, visitors from around the country, the police, businessmen who came out in their lunch hour to watch the free events in Hyde Park… and those who couldn’t afford, or hadn’t been able to purchase tickets. Their enthusiasm to enjoy the moment, along with their support for our athletes, was infectious. Happiness is infectious…

When I applied to be a London Ambassador I honestly had no idea what to expect.  It was the first time I had volunteered to do anything outside my ‘comfort zone’.  But what an inspirational decision!  I have met and worked with some fabulous people, and had an amazing time.  I was a liitle unsure about being dressed in pink and purple like Percy Pig… but it did mean we stood out, and we certainly attracted attention, which made it all the more fun. Had we not looked so ‘vibrant’ I’m sure we wouldn’t have had so many people come up to us seeking our help, directions and advice…

P.S. Boris Johnson has just sent an email thanking us for all our hard work. It was such a pleasure, Boris… it has left us all with many happy, and some very funny, memories.