It’s been a few weeks since I last wrote my blog and in that time so much more has happened in the run up to Australia.  Last time I wrote that I had almost obtained all the sponsorship money for my trip, well now this is completed and I managed to raise MORE than the money required for the trip, which is truly fantastic.

To my joy Lush, a global cosmetic company came forward with the remaining money and generously the Borough of Poole and Poole Tourism has also donated some money.  As I managed to raise a little more money than required the remaining money has bought me clothing with all my sponsors logos on them and a tripod and microphone also for my trip – more on this will be explained later.

The meetings in Australia have now expanded and I have also gained further interest from the press in Canberra.  I decided to make contact with ABC 666 Canberra Radio and a producer from Alex Sloan’s morning show came back to me and said they would love to interview me on the telephone before I arrived and then get me in to the studio when I am in Canberra.  This is fantastic, as it means I am able to spread the word globally about my project! So on Thursday 30^th July I carried out an interview with the radio station, which can be listened to here: Rachel Light interview.

Since Lush has kindly sponsored me, they too are working hard on obtaining press during my trip.  At the moment I am in liaison with their UK press office to arrange this.  It is also pretty big news for Parkeon too, another sponsor of mine, as at the moment they are getting ready to deploy a contactless electronic ticketing system using smartcard technology for the process of charging patrons for public transport.  Smartcard has already been deployed in Perth the only thing different for Canberra is they have no rail system.  Bizarrely my younger brother is a programmer for Parkeon in Poole, and the guy I am meeting with in Canberra used to be my brother’s boss.

Another piece of great news is a few weeks ago my mum suggested I should look in to a cameraman filming my trip seeing as I am having a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet with all these fantastic organisations in Australia.  I therefore made contact with Channel 4 and Sky to see if it was anything they would be interested in.  Unfortunately Sky came back and said they are already supporting many projects and they did not have the budget.  However Channel 4 suggested I contact a production company to see if it would be something of interest to them, as Channel 4 use production companies to make documentaries.  They sent me a link for a directory of production companies and a came across a company who have been absolutely amazing!  Glasshead, based in London, are interested in my trip and also in my plight to improve education and training on health and fitness to young athletes in the UK.  A lovely lady Faye called me and has told me Glasshead are working with SkillsActive already and looking to put together a production for the Olympics and this could fit it.  HOW AMAZING IS THAT!

Unfortunately because of the short notice they are unable to send a camera person with me for my trip, so I have been loaned a camera from Sport England and will have to film myself.  Now I am no camera person and have no idea what I am doing with a camera, let alone made it any good for TV.  I therefore arranged to meet with a freelance news reporter, Richard Slee, who runs his own company called  Look out Media and well, what can I say, a truly kind man who spent nearly two hours with me talking to me about my project and how best to film, shots to take and what will happen when I return.  He has also said he will help me get my story on to the local news.  Now the pressure is really on!  Best get good with that camera…  I’ve spent the last few days filming everything and I’ve still got so much to learn!

Once again I would like to say thank you to all my sponsors:

• Lush
• Parkeon
• British Surfing Association
• SkillsActive/Nancy Ovens Trust
• Borough of Poole
• Poole Tourism
• John Maughan
• Talbot Heath
• Animal
• Sport England
• Young Athletes Training Academy
• Four friends Melissa King, Russell Palmer, Peter Light (younger brother), Janet Head

I would also like to say a massive THANK YOU to my mum, who has been so supportive to me, listened to me and helped me to stay strong and focused.

Only 5 days to go now. Stay tuned for more news…

So it’s been nearly 7 weeks since I was successful in obtaining a bursary from Nancy Ovens Trust and SkillsActive.  The bursary was awarded to help get me to Australia this August, so I can carry out my comparison project of sport in Australia with that of the UK.

I currently work as a volunteer fitness coach and personal trainer for the Young Athletes Training Academy (YATA), a new company set up in Dorset to offer increased support and education for children in sport.  YATA has very little money and all the money the company earns go back in to the company to help offer increased services and facilities for children in sport in Dorset. 

It is apparent there is very little in the way of support in the UK for children in sport and many clubs, from my experience in Dorset, are crying out for additional funds to help with improving the fitness and strength abilities of children in sport.  After much research and many appointments with key sport divisions in the UK it appears our country offers nothing at grass roots level.  This of course got me thinking that perhaps if we were to educate and support our children from a young age in sport, we might have a better opportunity to produce more and more world class athletes. 

At the moment many children drop out of sport and this could be for many reasons such as injury and lack of interest.  If children were educated from a young age in to how their body works and why things such as stretching and diet are so important, I believe our children will have a much better opportunity in sport.  Most of these children in sport are incredibly dedicated and our country lets them down by not offering them a chance to develop to world class levels.  Of course there are facilities and support available to elite athletes, but you have to be identified to receive these benefits and that is very difficult.  See www.yatasports.com for more information on what services the Young Athletes Training Academy offers.

Australia is streets ahead in sport and they consistently produce world class athletes from all sports.  I initially decided to run a comparison study on swimming and after looking in to briefly what Australia does for their swimmers, they have a much more in depth coaching system and train less hours in the pool and more on the land.  This way of training has inspired me to think that perhaps they are on to something here.  So I therefore started to make arrangements with Swimming Australia and British Swimming to compare training schemes, systems etc.  To date I have met with Michael Scott from British Swimming who was extremely helpful and supportive, the information he provided me however will be detailed later in my report and is only geared towards elite athletes and nothing for the younger athletes.  Mr Scott suggested I meet with Nick Sellwood from English Swimming to help, however this does appear to be very difficult, as Mr Sellwood is never available to meet with me which is a real disappointment seeing as everyone else is very supportive.

The bursary I was awarded only contributed to 25% of the money I require to visit Australia, so I therefore have had to find the money from elsewhere.  Because the Young Athletes Training Academy has no money to support my trip the only way I can go is to reach out to other companies for sponsorship and in this particular climate it has proved extremely difficult.  However I believe in my trip and my project so much I have done everything in my power to make this trip happen.  Unfortunately British Swimming and the ASA have not contributed any money to my trip, which is a shame seeing as initially the whole basis of my trip is about swimming.  They have said all their money goes to the regional governing bodies.  This is fair enough and I appreciate donating £500 to my trip is just not affordable for them…

Recently the Young Athletes Training Academy has become involved with the British Surfing Association and has started to work with them on occasional strength and conditioning, as well as personal training services to their young athlete surfers.  After many conversations, the BSA have agreed to fund part of the trip in return I make appointments with key surfing organisations to discuss their Long Term Athlete Development Plan.  When I return from Australia the information I have obtained will be used in developing the UK LTAD for the BSA.

My trip to Australia and the reasons for going has raised quite a bit of interest locally.  After I was awarded the bursary I featured in two local publications and was interviewed by the BBC for Radio Solent and also the website.  This has aided my plight for raising more funds and the local council, Borough of Poole, also got involved.  My contact there, Duncan Kerr, has been working extremely hard for me by taking my sponsorship proposal to many different companies.  It caught the eye of one company in particular – Parkeon – a large international manufacturing firm with offices in Australia.  They are extremely interested in my work for children in sport and decided to offer further funding to help my trip to Australia.  Further funds have now been raised from the following:

• Talbot Heath School
• The father of one of my clients Amelia Maughan, the fastest 12 year old swimmer in the world at this time.
• Two friends Melissa King and Russell Palmer
• And Animal clothing are providing me with clothing to raffle off and luggage for my trip

I am still to raise a little more money, but even so I now have a majority of the money and have managed to book flights, accommodation and pay for my visa.

I would like to thank all of my sponsors including the Nancy Ovens Trust/Skills Active, for supporting me, without your generous contributions my trip would not be possible.

My two week trip in Australia has just got bigger and bigger.  I am now no longer focusing on swimming alone and I have many different appointments booked with fantastic sporting organisations, all of whom seem to be extremely helpful and only too happy to help.

My current itinerary exists of the following:

• Wednesday 12^th Aug: leave the UK.  Change flights at Dubai, Singapore, and Brisbane
• Friday 14^th Aug: arrive Canberra, Australia (Rest and Recovery over the weekend)
• Monday 17^th Aug: meet with the Australian Institute of Sport
• Monday evening meet: with Canberra Times, who are running a feature story on me
• Tuesday 18^th Aug: meet with Swimming Australia
• Tuesday evening: meet with Parkeon Press officer
• Wednesday 19^th Aug: morning fly to Brisbane
• Thursday 20^th Aug: drive to Surfing Australia and meet to discuss their LTAD and visit their high performance centre
• Friday 21^st Aug: meet with Queensland Government to discuss sporting opportunities
• Friday 21^st Aug: afternoon meet with Brisbane Broncos (Rugby Team) watch them train and visit their high performance centre
• Friday 21^st Aug: evening meet with Brisbane Times, who are also running a feature story on my visit
• Monday 24^th Aug: spend the day with Michael Bohl and Stephanie Rice (triple Olympic gold medallist)
• Tuesday 25^th Aug: catch up day and any additional appointments add here
• Wednesday 26^th Aug: fly home to the UK

As you can see my diary and trip to Australia is not only extremely busy, but very very exciting and I cannot wait to go.  I am going to learn so much whilst I am away and really believe when I return to the UK I can make a MASSIVE difference to young athletes in the UK.

Please keep reading my blog for further news and developments of what is happening!  Only 4 weeks and 3 days to go…

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.

Hello all, 

I can’t believe I have been sat in the same stadium as the great Diego Maradona!  

I know that he is only a shadow of his former self now but when working at the Olympic men’s semi-final Brazil v Argentina he was also in attendance.

In a match that has seen Argentina progress to the final Gold medal match against Nigeria the 1996 Olympic champions. Argentina who are the reigning champions want to retain their coveted gold medal position.

During this match there was as in all sports at the Olympics unbelievable quality on the pitch with players such as Messi, Ronaldinho, Aguero and Mascherano who fascinated the capacity crowd at the Workers stadium with their incredible agility, skill and athleticism.

What I will say as a volunteer at the Games here is that I may never get a chance to see top level sport like this up close again. I sincerely hope this is not the case. But working here at the Olympics illustrates how privileged a position we hold as volunteers during the worlds largest sporting spectacle.

Not only do I get to see some of the greatest sports stars on the planet but I also have the opportunity to interview the players and for a young aspiring journalist this experience is not only life and career changing but it makes you realise this is the profession you wish to follow.

I now know that when I graduate I want to further my career in the field of sports journalism as well as other areas of the journalistic spectrum. At twenty I have stood in mixed zones, flash quote areas and have attended both pre and post match conferences at a major sports event. This experience has been second to none and for anyone wanting to further themselves in sports journalism perhaps being a volunteer at London in 2012 wouldn’t be a bad idea!

I hope personally that by 2012 I will be working in some form of sports media and would perhaps be employed to work during the London Games but if not, I may do the same voluntary work again if the opportunity arises.

What I will leave this short extract with is that a player such as Maradona who attended the Argentina game made 64,000 people roar with excitement when he was on the screen. I was fortunate to be here to see, feel and be part of this environment. I hope that all the volunteers for London only have the same if not a better experience than I have had. But one thing is that when you leave the Olympics you have memories and meet friends that will last a lifetime.

David Stevenson