Records, Golds and Pads

Posted on August 18, 2012 Updated on August 18, 2012

I left the comfort of student halls over the previous 5 nights to find my tent still in the same place I found it, just outside Lee Valley park and close enough to the Olympic Park for me to be able to get into work for 7am each of the next 6 days I volunteered for at the Velodrome. Good job really, it took me long enough to get through London with all the diversions due to the Olympic lanes…..still expecting a ticket somewhere for crossing one or two unknowingly as I performed the odd U-turn.

Day one at the Velodrome was an easy start. Compared to the test event in Feb, which was a round of the UCI Track World Cup, this was going to be easy. We had 6 days to run about 60% of the events usually run at a WC round and 6 days instead of 3 to do it. Today’s racing didn’t start until 4pm so we had plenty of time to sort the place and ourselves out.

My team included the same guys I worked with in Feb and it was a great bonus as they where all great guys, a collection of characters that together made it all happen, a true team. From that perspective, the entire team, volunteers and Locog staff alike, where all one of the best teams I’ve had the pleasure to be asked to work with. We all noticed who wasn’t there as only 40% of the test event staff had been selected to work in these key field of play roles at the Olympics. Honoured and privileged as we where, we all knew why some weren’t and it showed. Mutual respect and acknowledgement among the team didn’t take longer than a second or two from meeting and greeting.

If heard a saying somewhere in the training for the Olympics, “One Olympics, One Team” and this was exactly what had formed. We where working in fairly key roles, trusted to work alongside the athletes themselves, in view of the public at all times and visible on the millions of tv screens across the globe, albeit, in the background hopefully. Protocol was important and we all respected this to its fullest, helping each other where required and always accepting this help in a constructive manner. I only had the displeasure to meet one person who failed entirely to understand any of this and thankfully he wasn’t working in our team as his attitude alone would’ve destroyed our entire teams pride. It takes all sorts I suppose and I did have a good laugh at his expense.

One of my key activities in my role, was to manage the track pads used to ensure riders don’t benefit from cutting the corners when an distance or timed event is run. Seems fairly simple, place 18 pads around a corner and stand there to replace them if they get clipped or blown off line. It is actually that simple, but then you add in the importance of protocol and the fact your the only person able to come into contact with an athletes goal of winning a gold medal at the Olympics and then you start to wake up to the fact it should be simple but then they wouldn’t have a team of people doing it if it was, instead using the Commissaires who stand on watch around the track as well, they normally replace the pads themselves as it is for their rules the pads exist.

Everyone’s roles took on a more focused priority, the Commissaires couldve done this but at the cost of what? Enough was made of rulings being applied never mind if they hadn’t been applied because they where replacing a track pad at the time.

You usually get 2 riders or teams on track at the same time during these events, pursuit races being the most common. This meant you had about 8 seconds to accurately replace a pad, meaning it had to be in the right place and facing the right direction. Rules and safety governing one and protocol governing the latter. Again in itself, not a difficult task, but then add in the other 17 pads spread over 90 metres around the corner that may have moved as well and then the 28degree heat you had to work in, then the fact you can never put your back to the riders for safety, also the photographers you tried not to get in the way of, protocol of staying at the corner apex where not actually active and all of this crammed into 8 seconds doesn’t give you much room left to breathe.

It’s hot, fast and required a lot of concentration. Privileged we may have been to be able to witness world records being beaten just a metre away from us, we never really watched what was happening as we didn’t have the time to. To check whether a pad has moved, you watch each pad as it is passed by the riders to see if it moves, remember which one did, watch all the way to the end and then run to the one you need to move or prioritise which one of the 3/4 is most important or easiest to get done quickly before the next riders arrive. The one thing this does allow you to watch is the line the riders hold on the track and we could all easily see how Team GBs concentration on marginal gains resulted in them taking a precise shortest route every lap, tracking the black line within 1cm where other big teams either rode about 6 cms outside it or else all over the place. This black line is the one that is accurately drawn to mark out a 250m line around the track. Below it, you could reduce the distance every lap but that’s why we had pads there, so there was no advantage in doing so. Above it, you could go where you wanted but in a time trial over numerous laps, this was no advantage as it just extended your distance and world records are set by tenths of seconds, usually. When TeamGB set their Team Pursuit World Record in qualifying, I was lucky enough to be managing the pads on one corner to witness the feat achieved. The wind created by 4 men, riding nose to tail in each others draft, is more than enough to move every single one of these pads every lap, and it pretty much did too, I worked so hard chasing back and forwards replacing pads where safe and possible but had no issue noticing how smooth they sounded in their pedalling and how accurately they tracked this 250m black line in comparison to every other team. The closest team was Australia but they where 6cms above it at least and you could tell someone in their line up was pounding the pedals every lap which caused gaps in their lineup. Still, beating a world record by as much as TeamGB did, 6 seconds I think, was astounding.

Hearing the wall of sound the riders all commented on at the Olympic Velodrome, was the other experience we will take away and couldn’t help but take in. Many felt the non-cycling Olympics crowd would not bring the same support in this wall of sound, that everyone noticed at the test event with Sir Hoy himself having a say in the design of the track and insisting in the all round seating to achieve just this. He himself, commented at the test event, that the Olympics may not be the same, and he himself was astounded that it was actually the same if not better every time a TeamGB cyclist took the track.

So, day one witnessed Golds and World Records, could it get better than this? Yes.

Every day we came in, we tried to relieve the previous days experience, not expecting the same thing as being possible today, yet every day it got better. Yes, Vicky and Jess’s disqualification from the team sprint was a big down, especially for Jess as this was her only event and possibility of a medal, one they where both favourites for alongside the Chineese team. But even this day we witnessed events that left us in awe of the achievements of TeamGB.

After 6 days, not one of us felt tired or drained or lacked any amount of enthusiasm for the days work, how could we with what was going on. We finished our last shift and had a team photo arranged for the infield area now that it had been cleared of all competitors and officials. Just as we got setup, the sight of Gold medal winner Anna Meares peering round the corner, kind of shocked us, still in protocol mode, not one person said a thing, until Anna herself, ran into the picture with us, showing off her gold with duly deserved pride, welcomed by all of us as a group. Honoured to be joined by her, we all had the biggest smiles and as is this wasn’t enough, the two German girls joined us for the same photo opportunity, Team Sprint Gold winners Kristina Vogel and Miriam Welte. Then Vicky appeared, slightly shyer than her competitors but none the less appreciative of all our hard work. This was one autograph I had to get, I’m not one for them but as it was Vickys last race, I couldn’t resist getting my Olympic Accreditation pass signed as a long lasting momento.

This was the next memory we all started to take with us. Just how much people appreciated our efforts was not really apparent to us until it was all over. Probably because we didn’t come into contact with the public who would openly talk to you, protocol meant that we didn’t speak to people unless they spoke to us and as they where all teams, competitors and officials, they didn’t have time any more than we did. This showing of mutual respect, being joined for photos right at the end of the day, after they had all been held back for upto an hour for drugs testing and other official duties, this meant more to us than anything else but wasn’t the last thing we would remember.

When all the goodbyes had been said and done, we did go out for a wee celebration before heading on our own separate ways, trains to catch, families to see and journeys to be started, most of us would only get home at the end of Thursday with so many of us coming from on average 100 miles away from this London Olympics and happy to do so too. Volunteers took away a few weeks of memories to cherish for a lifetime, staff took away more but at the cost of now being unemployed, we where emotional but had made great friendships, they had done similar but now had to turn their focus to other greater things.

I can see why so many of the staff had worked in temporary roles for various Olympics, from Sydney to Beijing and now London, why wouldn’t they go to Rio? After 12 years or more I’m sure they wanted a little more out of life now, the security we all had maybe. Most volunteers where either very young students, retired or full time workers with the later taking up about 40% I’d say. Many of us where now tempted by Rio and there was still the opportunity of the CommonWealth games in Glasgow to come in two years. We knew the English based management would almost be guaranteed to be there and they openly stated their respect for us and welcomed our presence at Glasgow if they where lucky enough to be there too. The larger group of Aussies weren’t so able to achieve this was work visas restricting their time in the UK. Who knows where they will all end up but I’m sure I will see many faces again in my time. The temptation of Rio is a big one and it took me over 4 years to achieve a position within the Escort Group at the Olympics so the same for Rio isn’t out of the question. Maybe start learning Portuguese.

My return home was an emotional one, only the second time over spent so long away from my wife since we got married. Then there was watching the closing ceremony. The pride I felt for the small
part I played in TeamGBs best team ever and the best Olympics ever, was something I never expected. The recognition from all involved, being portrayed on tv for all to see, was something else I never expected. You can’t help but feel the enormity of it all at this stage and then there was more to come from the social network. Just how much of a difference every single GamesMaker made to this being a successful Olympics was not something anyone expected but only dreamed as being a goal. Team GB had their best Olympics ever, London2012 GamesMakers set a standard that few believed was even possible to dream of let alone plan for.

The hardest thing now is going back to normal life, knowing what is actually possible when people work together for a common goal, to then return to a role where not only are you supposed to be achieving just the same result, but your all paid for it too, yet somehow it’s the money that prevents us all from working together. When people listen to me say that I don’t work for money, I work for the enjoyment of it, they distrust me or think of me as strange and uncooperative. I work in a commission paid role but will never get anything close to the satisfaction from achieving in this role as I did at the Olympics. I work hard so that my wife and I can live the life we want outside of work and I now appreciate this life even more than ever, even with all the challenges we go through. How I’m going to use my experience at this Olympics, to better my life in the future is something that will remain to be seen but I’m certain and determined to ensure that it will have a positive effect to me, my wife and future family and anyone I can influence for the good.

I was thinking this is the end of an era and almost ready to hang my momentos up and enjoy them from time to time, but I’ve realised that this is just the start of another journey. I’ve put the work into getting to an event I dreamt of and it’s now sent me in a completely new direction, one I never knew existed. Hopefully I can share this on my log also, lots more pages to fill.

Truly Golden Olympics

Posted on August 18, 2012

Wasn’t that truly an amazing Golden Olympics from all areas of sports for TeamGB.

After the road races, I had a few days off prior to the TimeTrial for both men and women on the Wednesday, all prior to me volunteering as a GamesMaker in the Velodrome for another full on 6 days.

Never one to sit about, I had already arranged to meet my lovely wife on the Monday, so we could actually celebrate our 10th anniversary which was on the day I started work in London. We had a great day out after buying general access tickets to the Olympic Park and tickets into the Orbit viewing platform tour. Doesn’t sound like a great day out but seriously, once you step into the Olympic Park, you get consumed by the energy flowing about the park, people excited about seeing whatever event they where lucky enough to get tickets for or just even excited to be there like us. We found no end of positivity from staff and public alike and the selection of food stalls in the park that we planned to eat at, where beyond anything anyone had assumed especially with only the big Mac being allowed to advertise its presence. We skipped the big M, it was set back out of the way of the main areas and it did smell a bit when the wind blew the wrong way. Thai it was then.

As we sat and enjoyed out takeaway food on one of the many greens created infront of the British Airways viewing screens, surrounded by happy people in the sun, I got a message telling me I had a meeting back at HQ for the TimeTrial on Wednesday. No way I could make it now so they’d have to update me when I got back but I never did get any useful feedback from anyone who did attend this unscheduled meeting. Didn’t stop us having a great day out, we spent a reasonable amount on food and drink but without being ripped off and most of the staff where great though you could tell those that had had enough of telling people they’d run out of the popular items already, I think that most underestimated the amount people would buy with big M assuming its would be the hotspot….apparently it undersold on everything in the Olympic Park for the public but the opposite happened in the Athletes Village. Strange eh!

The very next day, I had a familiarisation ride with the police, around the TT route at 8am. I left my wife to return afterwards for lunch and we spent a few hours together in the pub before she headed off again to her parents for the rest of the week whilst I worked. We had been told by the police that we didn’t need any afternoon meeting as planned so the day was ours after the ride and I had received an email from the Track Cycling team asking if anyone could volunteer for a familiarisation at the Velodrome Tuesday evening. Better than sitting in a pub I thought, count me in.

Arrived at the Olympic park again, this time to assist with a familiarisation event and rehearsal for those who needed to put their teams through the details of their roles. We had a great evening and it was good to meet old faces again whilst taking in new info about small changes in how to go about our roles. Wasn’t happy to receive yet another message that another meeting had been called by the police that evening in the hotel. Couldn’t make that one either as I wasn’t sat about waiting in a pub. I had work to do of value.

Turns out that the meeting was to tell the National Escort group that the police had made a mistake in the numbers required to escort the time trial riders and 3 would have to be dropped from our team as they weren’t prepared to drop anyone. Fair enough, we where only there to back them up as they didn’t have enough experienced riders, familiar with cycling events at this level. Probably still didn’t but it was their gig. Names got drawn from a hat within our team and the 3 least experienced riders names all happened to get drawn out with mine among them…..they had made a mistake on my experience level but hey oh, I’d only worked 4 years to get the chance to do this.

This was the lowest part of my Olympics experience. I felt so down about the entire experience now but determined not to let it ruin the remainder of my time as I had a lot more to come in the velodrome, so I took it on the chin, tried to enjoy sitting in the holding area at Hampton Court and prepare for the next day at the velodrome. As it turned out, I was in a fairly privileged area along with the police and army and we had a bit of a laugh watching the tv screen way in the distance and then being among the first to see Wiggo and all the other competitors as they finished their ride and got off their bikes beside us.

You don’t see this on tv but after the ride, most of the riders where at the point of collapsing and needed to be helped off their bikes, those that weren’t looked clearly disappointed they still had energy left and didn’t use it on the road, clear to see from their times. TimeTrialing is a tough solo event and at this level even more so. What was totally hidden from the tv cameras was the way in which Wiggo took the news of his win. First he rode past the gate at Hampton Court as most riders did, riding past the main free public area on the bridge and then back to the holding area I was in which is where they could get back into the team pits areas.

On his return, he was met by his team helper who clearly looked excited for his win as had all followed the split times and could tell that Wiggo had done it, Cancellara and Martin where the only riders left who could beat him but after his crash in the road race, it was clear Cancellara wasn’t able to compete at his best and Martin was outside of Wiggos times by a small but unbridgeable amount at the last check. Barring a superhuman performance, Martin couldn’t beat him now.

Wiggo got off his bike and sat on the crossbar, watching the tv screen in the distance, waiting for first Martin and then Cancellara to finish, still refusing to believe his team mate who was almost busting with excitement. He went and sat under the shade of a billboard as the sun was so strong now, still refusing to believe or assume he had done enough, yet clearly exhausted. When the last man finished and the timing screen showed Wiggo as the Gold medal winner, he looked on with disbelief, still unable to believe he had done it. To see such humility from such a top cyclist who had such amazing recent form in the Tour de France and in time trial stages specifically, was a really humbling experience. It took time for it to sink in before he then smiled at his team mate and finally allowed himself to celebrate. Disbelief, humility, pride, total satisfaction and happiness. So many emotions in such a short period of time, it must’ve seemed easier to just empty your soul onto the road for 50:30:54, the winning time.

So this experience, right at the end of the day, made up for all the disappointment of not escorting a rider in an Olympic event after 4 years of gaining experience in the hope to do so. And you know what, I wouldn’t change it for anything. I’d like to think that, just like Wiggo, I never assumed I was worthy of such a position, that I accepted the opportunity with humility and that when it was taken away from me, I acted in a respectful way worthy of my selection in the first place. I never grumbled to anyone, blamed anyone or argued my right over anyone else’s. I wasn’t more worthy, just equal to and able to take one for the team. Not surprising to me that few of my colleagues could actually have a conversation with me on the day wether it be through guilt of knowing the disappointment they would’ve felt had it been them. So I will never hold this against anyone and instead cherish the moments I did see that few of them could.

So, next up was a quick trip back to my room, pack my bags onto the bike and head to my tent, pre-erected a few days earlier to make the transfer easier. Followed by dinner and goodbyes to all in the escort team.