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

Couldn’t wait for my first day working at the Workers Stadium for boxing, but even before I got to see my first Olympic event, I could hear cheering outside and found that the route for road cycling was right outside my window. I really am in the Olympic spirit now! It is so surreal being part of a major sporting event, especially when people back at home can only enjoy the experience through their television. When I did eventually arrive to work, for boxing it looked bleak, as Frankie Gavin, the lightweight world amateur boxing champion was one of Britain’s medal hopes in Beijing but was withdrawn after failing to make his weight. The second blow was that several of the British boxers have tough opening bouts. So it could be hard competition. I can’t wait!