Walking in through airport style security on my first day in the Olympic Village it was finally sinking in that I'd be working in what is in essence the most secure gated community in the world. I clock in and pick up my all important meal vouchers which allow me to eat in the giant McDonald's run canteen. Alas it only allows me to eat in the workforce section, not the athletes diner! I head off to the services centre which is the hub for all the services offered to the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) during their stay. I met up with the rest of my team also assigned to working with Team USA. We all share a sense of excitement in being one of the privileged few allowed into this most mysterious of worlds. From there we took orders as to where to find our delegation in the village.
We were soon put to work as every room needed to be checked and inventories completed within 24 hours of arrival. We whizzed from room to room checking - 1 bed, 2 towels, 2 laundry bags, 1 desklamp, 1 extension cable and exactly 10 hangers in the wardrobes for each athlete in every bedroom. A job usually dreaded suddenly becomes truly exciting when you realise where you are and who might be sleeping in those beds. Then of course from a legacy perspective (reference to Twenty Twelve) I made time to investigate which of the apartments I'd like to move into after the games have finished. Incidentally there's one with a great view of the Olympic Park and great balcony which I am particularly interested in!
A couple of days in and press day was upon us. I wasn't aware of it in advance but the swarms of press attachés with cameras gave it away. Along with the camera appearing behind me out of nowhere when a French television group had realised we were walking with the USA committee members. So used to it were we by lunchtime that I didn't even notice Boris Johnson until I caught a flash of white go past me and after double taking a few times I realised it was The Mayor of London and not an isolated flash of lightening!
I couldn't have believed quite how varied my work would be. After having completed all the inventories we have been unpacking boxes, driving the official vehicles to various location ready for moving members of committee and athletes around and kitting out the dedicated USA medical facilities in the village. All of this may seem pernickety but we like to think that our efforts will allow the athletes to only worry about performing their best and not whether they had enough hangers to put their clothes on!
We're ready to start welcoming the athletes to our "Disneyland"-like Village in the middle of Stratford...I think...