Owning our experiences...

Sitting in our stretch SUV limo on the 404; tired, happy and thrilled to be home. It's been a long day. We left the Reid house in Richmond at 8 am BC time and pulling in at home at 8 pm Ontario time.

We wore our uniforms, just to make an exit worthy of this group of proud, retired 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic volunteers, and even here at Pearson Airport we are stopped and asked about our jackets by both the flight attendants and passengers outside.

Finally at home and it is so difficult to express the emotions surrounding this experience. We are nine people who have become coworkers, roommates, travel partners and for this brief period of time, we were family. I am sad to think I can't drag everyone to Starbucks every morning on our way to work (Sean and Jen are now as Starbuckian as Daisy and I), that Peggy won't be starting a pillow fight tonight, that Bruce won't be showing us his new pin, Ben won't be asking about our day at work and Larry can't bring us all treats from Dairy Queen (sorry Sylvia, I am letting it leak about the ice cream).

My favourite part of evenings before bed was the anecdotal sharing of our day. Each one of us had at least one funny, weird, exciting or scary event to share daily and it was our Olympic volunteer's version of a bedtime story. They were as simple as asking a local for directions to the subway and being sent to "Subway" restaurant, to being offered a thousand dollars for our volunteer jacket. We were almost caught in the middle of the riot downtown on the first day of the Games and were lucky enough to have pre purchased tickets to not only the gold medal presentation of the first to be won on Canadian soil, but also the second, though the first won by a woman. We were waved at by Ben Mulroney, met Ryan Kesler's family, told off by anti Olympic activists, rode transit with the Swedish ski team, the American ski team and accidentally caught the torch run outside the restaurant where we happened to be having lunch. I could go on and on about the kismet that surrounded this group but it would be better if you just made a coffee date with us because I could never reiterate with the same animation that the stories would be shared in person.

I have used the word "experience" many times during our trip, but I can't seem to find another word that has the same tangible quality to it. Experiences are something you take with you, hold onto, are valuable and the stuff that memories are made of. I want to thank this group for giving me the opportunity to support people in owning their unique experiences and what more a fantastic way to gather experience than as Volunteer at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

Fantastic people and exceptional opportunities...

Today was the last day for the Community Living Newmarket/Aurora volunteers and what an event to blow out on! Jen, Ben, Daisy and Sean were all ringside (rinkside actually) for the USA - Norway hockey game! Each one of the volunteers were ushers in a specific section with a view of the game to rival anyone's tickets. Jen was posted feet away from Ryan Kesler's family and had a lovely conversation with Mrs. Kesler. We could not have requested a better post for our last shift.

Our whole trip has been like today; bits of luck, happenstance and great fortune all thrown in together to make one hell of an experience.

Right from the beginning of our application in February 2008, we have met fantastic people and been given exceptional opportunities to get us to Vancouver.

The positive energy did not stop there and so many amazing things have come our way that it's been difficult not to believe the universe is conspiring to our benefit.

Truthfully though, it's because of the volunteers that we are here. If it were not for Ben, Jen, Sean and Daisy this trip never would have happened and the five staff feel honoured to have been asked to attend. I have learned so much about these four people and see them differently than I did before, as with anyone you get to know better than acquaintance.

Ben is an old soul. Full of questions and always interested in what everyone is doing. Ben remembers everything you tell him and everywhere he has been. He has a knack of touching something in people, complete strangers even, that makes you want to open up and let him get to know you. He can tell you every Skytrain station and where the elevators are and assisted so many other lost tourists on their merry, city transit way.

Daisy is... well... sweet. Everyone likes Daisy the second they meet her. Don't let her smile fool you though; she is capable of directing thousands of people through security gates and will make sure you stop if you are going the wrong way. She is a determined lady who is worthy of admiration and that adds spice to the sweetness that is Daisy.

Sean is a charmer. With his outgoing personality, he could wrangle his way into the Canadian dressing room. He introduces himself to everyone he meets along with anyone who happens to be with him. I have met so many interesting people while traveling with Sean, people I would not have met otherwise. Sean truly knows how to get the most out of his experiences and if you get the chance I suggest going along for the ride.

Jen lives with gusto and wants to drag you along by the hand, making sure you do as well. She has been so caring of everyone else's experience and today it was incredible to watch the pinacle of her experience while ushering at the hockey game. If you haven't had the chance, watch the video from earlier today and you will witness it yourself. Jen will do great things, just because she approaches everything with big enthusiasm.

Tomorrow we fly back to Ontario. if I could take one thing home with me, I would carry the memory of my experience supporting these outgoing and hardworking people and how the relationships we have all built have made this the phenomenal experience it is.

VLog - Jenn preparing for her final shift at Canada Hockey Place

Here's a quick video of Jenn preparing to be an usher at Canada Hockey Place, USA versus Norway game on Feb. 18 2010. This shift she gets to work just below the VIP section!

Briefing room before our last volunteer shift...

You are the author of your experience...

"And some say what defines us

Is something as simple as 'please' and 'thank you'

And as for 'you're welcome,' well, we say that, too..."

You may have noticed we did not write yesterday. Our group is still excited and pumped but we are slowing down. We took the evening to meet up with Lance and watch the Canada/Norway game at our local neighbourhood pub. People are getting to know us and the cheering and clapping with our neighbours over beer re energized and boosted our spirits! It was so nice to see Lance and I did not want to stop talking to him about the potential impact the Olympics will have on the Aboriginal community and the disability community, hoping it will create awareness and change future hiring policies here in BC.

As Jen and I were on our way home yesterday on the Skytrain, I noticed we were not making the same kinds of connections with people as we have been on past trips. I became aware of our slumped positions, our lack of smiles and repeated yawns. I am guessing we did not look overly welcoming.

I thought back to a conversation we had overheard earlier that day when a tourist asked a "local" directions to an event and was met with enthusiastic navigation and suggestions. As the tourist was walking away, Jen and I heard her exclaim "Canadians really are friendly!" And we beamed! There are worse national stereotypes in the world and if being friendly, accommodating, polite and welcoming are what define our country's culture, this group has been more than happy to represent.

We needed the last evening to refuel and bond over wings, beer and a Canadian hockey game and are back out on the street and off to volunteer as symbols of the true north. Each and every one of us is truly the author of our own experience and you get back what you give to the world. How extraordinary to be Canadian ambassadors, greet the world with a smile and in return create lasting memories for ourselves.

"We are part of the landscape"-quote by Daisy Joseph

A national community...

What an absolutely monumental occasion! We are on the Skytrain, on our way home, after the Victory Ceremony where Alex Bilodeau received the gold medal.

It was truly a sight to make your heart glow, looking around at all the red and white in the stadium. It was pure luck, landing tickets to the event, as they were purchased weeks ago when the group was still planning our trip. Last night while volunteering at the security gates at Canada Hockey Place we could hear all of Vancouver break into a unanimous roar! The news spread across the crowd in a wave, that Canada had just captured gold in men's moguls, and just as quickly a second wave of cheering followed. Everyone excitedly resumed their duties and it wasn't until later in the evening on our way home that we realized we had purchased tickets to the next nights events and would witness the presentation of the medal.

Being in Vancouver during the Olympics is enough to make you want to break into both the English and French versions of "Oh Canada" and being a volunteer only heightens that experience. I find I am humming it regularly this week. Being at the ceremony this evening blew all of those patriotic experiences right out of the water (ocean to be specific)! The stadium vibrated with full frequency as 20,000 people cheered, shouted, stomped and cried for Alex the Great (yes, there were tears)!
Did you see Alex's face? We are standing here at the bus stop trying to find the words to describe it; elation, pride, overwhelmed with emotion... Whatever the proper description would be, that boy is going down in history. Never again will there be a first gold medal awarded to a Canadian on Canadian soil and a country was united in pride.

A historic day like no other that will occur again and this group feels fortunate to be involved. We are so very proud to belong to our national community.

Excited group ready to see Alexander the Great own the podium! Fantastic floor seats! How did we get so lucky?!

On our way to scream for Alexander the Great!

Volunteers - A sea of blue...

On the way home from volunteering this evening, a group of Americans struck up a conversation with us on the Skytrain. They wanted to make suggestions on how to improve transit in Vancouver and all we could do was nod, smile and ask them where they were from and if they were enjoying their trip. We know nothing about the transit system in Vancouver but if you want to know what you can bring through security to watch a hockey game or how to get from Canada Hockey Place to Live City, we can blow you away with information!

We are proud, walking around Vancouver in our volunteer uniforms and it is also a daunting experience. We cannot go ten minutes without someone asking us for information, directions or insight into the best local venue. We have been trained to be ambassadors, even if we can't answer the questions, and have bravely handled the challenge of directing people in the appropriate direction whether they speak English, Chinese or Lithuanian. Hand signals come in handy during these situations.

Being trained in Event Services for Canada Hockey Place, we have little to no experience in any other venue here during the Olympic Games. The blue jacket volunteers number in the thousands but are assigned to a specific team within a specific venue. We want to be able to help everyone but have learned to redirect and pass guests to the next source of information seamlessly.

As we make our way from the skytrain station to our shift we make a mental note to give ourselves more time to get to work because we are enjoying making friends everywhere we go! Putting on the uniform seems to be a beacon of "I am your friend" and Jen, Ben, Daisy and Sean have made new friends on every Skytrain ride, in every restaurant and on every street. This group of people have been magically accredited as representatives of all things Olympic, a staggering transformation from undervalued citizens. It is amazing what a blue jacket can accomplish.

As staff we are trained in supporting people who have an intellectual disability in achieving all the things that make a person feel valued in their lifetime whether that be natural relationships, the ability to accept responsibility or ownership over one's own actions and the symbols that facilitate those achievements.
I am going back to work to suggest to the trainers that they use the Olympic Volunteer jacket as an example of one of those symbols.

The Games begin...

We've all just made it back to the house after the first split volunteer shifts and you can't hear yourself think for all the stories and elevated voices regaling the days events. Description eludes us all in an effort to express the experience and the emotion the day evokes.

It's been a long day of sight seeing and walking around the city of Vancouver. We were stopped at least 20 times to assist visitors and did the best to be ambassadors even though we had landed here only recently ourselves. Wearing the blue jacket is an awesome responsibility and we take it seriously. Some are patient with our direction to transit and city assistance, some are irritable and abrupt. Regardless, we are high on excitement and our obligation to being official ambassadors.

Each one of us was shocked as we walk by The Bay; the damage from protests, mail boxes through windows and red paint everywhere, seems senseless. A group who are promoting what we believe in cannot abide by violent protest and wish everyone could be proactive in making change.

Before checking in at Event Services, Canada Hockey Place. We were thrilled to find out that Steve Scott is our shift supervisor and had the chance to meet Darlene, his wife, during our briefing. The briefing room is the basement of former GM Place, filled with a sea of blue jackets, all buzzing in anticipation of the first game; Women's Canada vs Slovakia. (Way to go Canada! 18 - 0!) You cannot turn around without making a friend and each story of an individual volunteer experience is better than the last.

Jen is sent to street level to help direct pedestrian traffic, Sean to pacing at the security gates, Ben to usher at the seating area and Daisy to check press access at gate 2. There are no words to describe the "holy cow" feeling when in the moment of redirecting hundreds of people, denying access to a someone who feels deserving or ushering a thrilled visitor to their seat! The shifts fly by and no one wants to leave at the end of our duty.

Steve and Darlene just dropped by to see how our shifts went and were welcomed by nine loud, energetic people and given a glass of wine. The stories flew, all speaking over one another and walked the couple back out to their car. Steve and his wife have become part of our group and have added so much into the tapestry of this experience and again, the words Thank You are just not big enough.

We are off to bed, happy and tired, and can't wait until our shifts tomorrow.

Briefing before first shift! Sea of blue... Volunteers!

The first shift of volunteers!

Making our way...

Yesterday was an exhilarating and exhausting day. Up at 3:30 am in Ontario, to bed at 8:30 in BC. We needed toothpicks to keep our eyes open after training. A long, needed sleep and we are all ready to go check out Vancouver and see if we can catch the torch run.

Steve Scott, Olympic Volunteer since 2008, picked us up yesterday with another Lion's member, Steve Dane, and two vans. They were our Volunteer Ambassadors and chauffeurs for the whole day and we would have never made it through our busy schedule without them! Thank you are not big enough words to give to our two Steve's.

Navigating training was interesting and surprisingly smooth. All of the volunteers are so friendly and excited to help us along on our journey. Even on the bus today, another volunteer helped us plan our transit course and walked us to the Skytrain station, ensuring we reached our destination. The Olympic Volunteer jackets make us stand apart and people were honking, waving and chatting us up on our way in to the city.

We have made it to Granville Island after a bus, Skytrain and streetcar ride. Watching the torch run on the screen while eating lunch, the people around us seem like part of our group and everyone feels like they are all involved in this phenomenal experience. Everyone involved is "special" and holds amazing stories, hurdles they have had to overcome and limits they have pushed to make it to Vancouver and be involved in the 2010 Winter Olympic community, in whatever respect. Our group does not stand apart, in fact, we fit right in. That is Olympic spirit.

Vlog - The CLNAD 2010 Winter Olympic Volunteers - Day 2

Here is a quick video of the CLNAD 2010 Winter Olympic Volunteers on Day 2 of their trip. Their going on a transit tour of Vancouver to orient themselves with the city!

Bouncing off cloud 9...

As the plane taxis down the runway, the group is chatting about how excited we are to land and all the work it has taken over the past two years to get here.

Sean has already pressed the attendant button in the bathroom at the airport and here on the flight to tell everyone about his role at the Olympics.

The pilot tells us we are ready for take off...

A busy day ahead as we will just have time to drop our bags off at the house we have rented, race to training on Gravely St, then to Accreditation and to pick up our official Olympic volunteer uniforms at Pacific National Exhibition grounds.

Whew, a windy take off and we are flying over Aurora and Newmarket...

We are being met by Steve, an olympic volunteer himself, who has aquired two vans and enlisted another volunteer to meet us at the airport. I can't tell you how it was that Steve picked up our story, but I can tell you that his offer to drive us to the above venues has saved us so much time, stress and money!

The pilot just made an announcement that the system of individual viewing screens for passenger entertainment is crashing so he needs to re boot. Larry exclaimed "I don't think a pilot should use the word crash in any reference during a flight announcement"...

The house we have rented is courtesy of Joanne, Moore and Alexandra who saved us $5000 in rental fees. Joanne, my best friend, listened to our rental woes and after months of searching, offered to rent to us for a discounted price. As sorry as we are to displace Joanne's family, we are that much more grateful to have a welcoming home close to our volunteer venue, Canada Hockey Place.

Nothing but clouds below us now...

A long day ahead of us after an early rise and everyone is winding down for a mid-flight nap. I can't wait to meet Steve, introduce everyone to Joanne, Moore and Alexandra, see Ben's Grandparents who are meeting us for a quick hello at the airport and blink back the tears when we all get our first glimpse of the mountains! Rick Mercer said it best during his rant this past week; "the rest of the world is going to be stunned by the beauty of Vancouver" and we are ready to be stunned right along with the rest of the world...

Bruce is ready to go...

Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

Our (not so) brief history...

In February of 2008, Peggy Lund (always observant),Volunteer Services, Community Living Newmarket/Aurora heard a call for volunteers at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. The very next day, the application process began for Daisy, Ben, Sean and Jen (four people who have an intellectual disability and are supported by Community Living) and their support staff; Peggy (Volunteer Services), Larry (Past Executive Director), Sylvia (Supervisor, Residential Services), Bruce (Community Involvement) and Christine (Employment Specialist and Yours Truly) .
The volunteers were chosen because of their enthusiasm (wait until you see the upcoming videos!), work experience and interest in sports.

The volunteer process is a detailed, extensive application. Peggy remained diligent, making many phone calls to ensure that the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC)was aware of our application.
Peggy's perseverance paid off and our application was picked up by Lance from VANOC. In August, 2008 we received an email informing us that the volunteers were accepted with notice taken of requirements for accommodations in the workplace, the accommodations being job coaches and shift sharing.

In June 2009, Lance boarded a flight to Ontario to interview the volunteers personally and present us with our volunteer handbooks. We love Lance and can't wait to see him again! (see picture above, Lance is the only one wearing the fancy VANOC shirt, oh... and he is kneeling)

In August 2009 we received our positions and venue... Events Services, Canada Hockey Place! Did I already say "coveted event"?!

In amongst all these dates, applications and planning we fund raised! $20,000! A lofty goal, not to be undertaken by the faint of heart. Excited and with our target in sight, the group managed to raise the money. Thanks goes to so many (we will post an official list to thank everyone at a later date as we are still receiving gifts and donations from so many fantastic groups and individuals) and the support we have received has boosted group moral in those down times when we wondered if we could possibly achieve our objective.

Our objective has been achieved, thus the blog, and nine people are being escorted by the hospitable staff of Air Canada to possibly the greenest place in all of Canada for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. It's difficult not to be personally affected by the phrase "I Believe..."

Our first blog...

We are eager with anticipation, counting down the last hours until we step onto the plane in two short days. Volunteering in Events Services at Canada Hockey Place during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics is a coveted event for anyone, more so for these four people, each of whom has an intellectual disability. This blog will recount the exciting journey of the four volunteers and their 5 support staff from Ontario to Vancouver and back again. Stay tuned for a brief history of how we made it from applying as volunteers in February 2008 to stepping on the plane in February 2010...