In 1000 days on the London 2012 website

London 2012 have been celebrating the fact that there is now just 1000 days to go until the start of the 2012 Olympics. They’ve been asking on twitter and their website what people want to achieve in the next 1000 days.

For us, we’ve got a number of roles to play in staging the Olympics, and we’re involved in quite a few projects which have London 2012 as the catalyst.

The Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence is one, developed to help athletes succeed at the highest level. Originally developed with the intention of seeing athletes succeed at London 2012, we were obviously delighted to see nine AASE athletes compete in the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics , including double gold medalist Rebecca Adlington.

While it is great to help athletes in their quest for success over the next 1000 days, we also want the sector as a whole to be a success in line with our vision: More People, Better Skilled, Better Qualified. Some of the other projects we’re involved with will certainly help us in meeting that challenge.

With the news that more than five million people are currently participating in London 2012 Games-related projects, initiatives such as Personal Best certainly help get more people better skilled and better qualified.

Personal Best is the national pre-employment training programme, which uses the prospect of being a volunteer at London 2012 to engage workless and socially excluded people with education and help them gain skills, lift their aspirations and open up new life and career opportunities.

Recruit into Coaching is another project we’re involved in which will provide more people, better skilled and better qualified. We aid Sport England in delivering the Recruit into Coaching programme, which aims to recruit, train and deploy 10,000 new volunteers by 2011, greatly increasing our volunteer coaching workforce and directly increasing the sporting activity in both school and community settings.

Sport England have recently produced the following case study looking at the impact of the programme on participants and how these coaches can then go on to help others through sport.

So what do you want to achieve in 1000 days? Let us know through comments below and let London 2012 know through their website or by using the twitter hashtag #in1000days.

My work here in Beijing is now at an end, as the Paralympics prepares for the closing ceremony but for me it has started what could hopefully be a bright future.

I have only one regret about these games in Beijing and that is that they have finally ended but there is no time to waste on matters that can’t be changed. For me it is now time to fully focus on the future.

Having the opportunity to work here as a volunteer is one thing in my life I will never regret. I have so many happy memories and have seen some fascinating sports, world records, Olympic records as well as Paralympian being set and broken.

One thing I will say is that volunteers are a key factor to the Olympics running as well as they do so hopefully in London many more people will get the same or a similar opportunity as I have.

My final work shift was last night and I watched world records come and go, something a year ago I thought would never happen, it is amazing what life can throw at you.

Also my last interview was with South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius aka the “Blade runner” who for the final race of the evening smashed the World record in the men’s 400m. What a way to finish my Paralympic experience.

From here though I have one day to pack and prepare for my long journey back to England. Whilst I have been here I feel I have matured, grown as a person learnt many lessons and improved in my journalistic capacity.

Don’t get me wrong I have also had great fun, and since I have made so many Aussie friends you learn to be slightly more out going and you constantly have fun whether it be at work or on the social side of life.

I am honoured to have been at these games, it has been a dream come true, I hope to be at 2012 for London but you never know what is round the corner, all I can say is if your young enthusiastic and love sport- get yourself to the games. It truly can be life changing!

Finally I am happy after 3 months to be going home to be reunited with my family and friends. I have to also say how happy I was writing this blog for SkillsActive, I hope in some way I have helped some of you learn more about being an Olympic volunteer and tracing some of my thoughts and feelings on the subject.

Remember this if you only remember one thing:

“Volunteers represent the Olympic Spirit”

Jacques Rogge, Chairman of the International Olympic Committee

On this final note I will say goodbye and thankyou.

The one major problem whilst being a volunteer occurred yesterday and I knew it was coming.

Originally when we set off from Sheffield two months ago twenty four of us set sail on our voyage. Now there are only eleven.

We all knew that the day would come because there were fewer volunteers required for the Paralympics but during the Olympics we bonded like a family and looked after one and other.

Like the Olympics bringing the world together for the largest sporting spectacle, it also brings the volunteers closer together both international and local. I have personally made friends from all around the globe whilst on this volunteer programme and it has opened up many doors to my future.

Although one of the main lessons I have learnt is to respect everyone not just for their attributes but also their shortcomings and our twenty four became more of a brotherhood because it was the longest we have all spent in a foreign country away from our families.

Personally though, even with the feelings of sadness as my friends and now family boarded the coach, I was happy for them because they get to go see their families. For me I am here with another ten of my new family and I know my family are at home waiting for me but they can wait another three weeks.

I am still here to do a job and to be the best volunteer I can be and embrace the Paralympics spirit as much as I can, so I can’t remain saddened but I can be happy knowing that my friends and family will all be back in Sheffield when I arrive home.

Till then there will be two weeks of work for the Paralympics but before then I will do some more travelling round the city, play some football, tennis, badminton and I will get a hair cut. This could be fun in China, wish me luck.

Saturday 16^th August, must have been one of my best days since I have been here in Beijing. At the workers’ indoor stadium I was about to leave, but my friend Laura and I noticed a BBC crew had turned up and we heard that they were filming a feature about the rules of Boxing with Adrian Chiles! It was so good to see behind the scenes and meet the BBC crew.

To top it off, the group of us had the chance to go to the the National Stadium, it was immense. I witnessed the Men’s 100m final with Jamaican Usain Bolt to win a gold medal and setting a world record of 9.69 seconds. Absolutely amazing, especially with the stadium seating 91,000 people, the noise intensity from the crowd, it was so surreal.

Saturday 23^rd August was the finals for Boxing and our main man James Degale wins Gold for Great Britain. It was such a great moment to hear our national anthem. Great Britain have done so well this year at the Games, apparently this is the best they have done in the medals table for a century.

Sunday 24^th the last day of the Olympics, I can’t believe it’s all over! Many years of planning and it just comes down to these two weeks. I have to remind myself that I am part of the Olympics and, in a way, part of history. I saw countries winning medals for the first time and I saw how the Olympics is performed from behind the scenes.

There is so much hard work that Beijing has put in and to be fair they have done a brilliant job. I have had an amazing experience that I have even signed up to cover the Winter Olympics in Vancouver 2010.

I still had a few days left, so I went to the Temple of Heaven. It was so peaceful and tranquil. It made me reflect on what I had learnt over the last 8 weeks. Not just working for the Olympics, but what I have learnt about cultures and other people. It has really inspired me to go travelling and learn more about the world.

I have really enjoyed writing for Skills Active, as it has given me the chance to reflect on my journey and to share my experiences with you guys. I know that David will keep you entertained for the Paralympics for another 3 weeks, so until next time, bring on London 2012!

Zàijiàn

Coming into the office this morning I was met with a great deal of excitement – one of the AASE swimmers competiting at the Olympics had won Gold in the 400m Freestyle event! Watching the race over on the BBC website it was obvious why there was such a buzz, it was a fantastic performance and the final surge by the two British girls over the last 10 metres was incredible, it sent a shiver of excitement down my spine watching it, I can’t even begin to imagine how it must feel to those there watching live. At the start of the final lap it really looked like there was no chance of catching the American Katie Hoff, but she was reeled back in and pipped by Rebecca Adlington by the smallest of margins, with fellow Brit Jo Jackson taking 3rd. This was Britain’s first female gold medalist in Olympic swimming since 1960, and the first medals of any colour for our female swimmers since 1984!

In swimming the AASE scheme is proving highly successful, and popular, at all levels. There are currently 210 learners who are receiving the necessary skills and support to become champions while continuing with their education. There is no better indication of this than the news that many of those on the programme will be at the Olympics and World Youth Championships this summer, 16 in total, and now they have an Olympic Gold to show for it!

There is a strong possibility that there will be more medals for the AASE swimmers on the way, Rebecca is back in the pool in the relay and her preferred 800m freestyle later this week, while fellow AASE athlete Jemma Lowe will also be back in the pool following a 6th place in the 100m butterfly final.

Read more about the final at the following sites:

• SkillsActive: Golden day in Beijing for AASE athlete Adlington
• Guardian: Rebecca Adlington wins gold for Britain in 400m freestyle
• Telegraph: Rebecca Adlington wins gold on a rewarding day for Britain