That's it. That's all she wrote. For the Olympics at least. I spent the final night with my dear Tania and watched the closing ceremonies from the comfort of our neighbourhood bar. I did manage to get my hands on one of those flashing medals from the ceremony! Don't ask me how...I've got connections ;)
It was an emotional night last shift and last night. Most of my team will not be staying for the Paralympics. The hardest to see go was Tania. I rode the bus with her to the airport to see her off just hours ago.
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| Goodbye Tania. See you in Canada! |
The last two shifts were energetic and eventful. As most of you probably saw, Canada bob 3 crashed. My heart sunk as they skidded down the track. The entire venue went dead silent. When the guys got up and walked away from the sled, the crowds cheered! The best part was the next day when the team decided to do the third run. Everyone cheered. The Russian team that came in fourth however... one of the athletes threw his helmet on the ground. Hard. Then he chucked his goggles, all the while swearing away like a sailor. Put side by side with the Canadians who overcame adversity, the Russian sportsman's display was disgraceful.
A certain Russian celebrity also graced our venue on the last day of competition. Former president Dmitry Medvedev walked right past me! We were all geared up to the nines with security expecting Putin, but his number two showed up instead. I also forgot to mention that I talked to Prince Albert of Monaco! He was in my zone and I asked him to move slightly to the right. (Monaco had a bob in the two-man competition)
With bobsled being one of the last events of the final day of the Olympics, I did NOT get to watch Canada take gold in men's hockey. I did, however, manage to celebrate to the fullest! I found myself at the local karaoke bar. If you've ever been to karaoke with me, you'll know I can put on a good show. Yes, I may be tone deaf, but I can perform. I belted out Queen and Elton John to the roar of the crowd. Go Canada go!
I walked into my residence at 7 o'clock in the morning. I strolled straight to the canteen to find the best blini (crepes) full of condensed milk. Delicious! The cherry on top of my Olympic experience. Now I plan to rest a bit, see some sights in Sochi and then hop on a train to Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don this weekend. I will begin my shift for the Paralympics on March 7.
I do not plan on bringing my laptop with me as I venture outside the 'Sochi bubble,' but I will post photos and stories on my return!
To cap off my tremendous Olympic extravaganza, I share with you some snapshots my friend Tania took of the last couple of shifts and our venue - Sanki Sliding Centre.
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| Sanki team mixed-zone! |
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| With one of our interpreters Oleg. |
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| Beautiful Tania. |
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| Goodbye Olympics, hello Paralympics! |
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| Sanki Sliding Centre |
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| With our Brit, Will. |
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| Luke, our American on the team. |
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| Russia takes gold in four man bobsleigh |
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| Watching the last bit of the mens hockey game. Represent! |
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| Krasnaya Polyana at sunset. |
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| Farewell team Sanki! |
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| It's been a slice! |
I've loved reading your blog - I'm coming to Sochi on Sunday as a volunteer for the Paralympics, and reading through everything you've written has got me super pumped for it!
ReplyDeleteI have a quick (stupid) question - when you wear your uniform, do you wear your own jeans and t-shirt and stuff under it? I'm trying to pack, and I have no idea how much stuff to bring haha!
Thanks! :) x
Hi Sophie!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading! Will you be in the mountains or the coast? I work in the mountains and I wore my own pants underneath the snow pants.
On the coast, some managers allowed volunteers to wear blue jeans as part of their uniform (it is so hard to only have one pair that gets dirty). You will get three shirts though, so those are easy to keep clean.
Personally, I brought too much clothing. Most days we wear our uniform only, so many items have remained unworn in my closet. If you are in the mountains, bring extra thermal underwear. Most days I just wore my long johns under my snow pants (no jeans, easier to move around).
Also think to have room to bring home souvenirs! Pack less now and you will not regret it ;)
What venue will you be working? If it is inside, don't worry about thermal underwear. If it is outside, it does rain, but our uniforms are very warm and will keep you dry. Just bring an outfit for going to the pub and for day trips to Sochi. Otherwise your uniform will cover you well.
Cheers,
Janelle Lane