In August 2024, I was one of the 45,000 volunteers helping to bring the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games to life. From the application, the training, the adrenaline of the competition day to the emotion of the final group picture, it was an unforgettable experience.
I am immensely proud of having been a witness but also a participant of this fantastic adventure that you only get to live once in a lifetime.
Do you want to apply to become yourself a volunteer for upcoming Games (Milan-Cortina 2026, Los Angeles 2028, French Alps 2030, Brisbane 2032)? I hope this article will convince you to do so!
What is the role of the volunteers at the Olympic and Paralympic Games?
In addition to the dozen of thousands of the people working for the Games in various capacities, it is not possible for the Games – the biggest event in the world- to exist without the volunteers. In Paris 2024, we were 45,000 and a crucial part of “ensuring an exceptional experience for everyone involved in the Games”. When your country or city hosts the Games, you welcome the world. Thousands of athletes, their coaches, and their delegations come as part of the competition. Millions of people travel to witness this event as spectator (for the Paris Games more than 12 millions tickets were sold, and several events had spectators without tickets on open air sites). Under this general mission, the Volunteers specific roles varied widely from welcoming spectators, setting up competition sites, taking care of athletes and officials.
Usually dressed in bright colors to be easily identifiable from all, they are an integral part of the organisation and the experience of the Games – some even said that they are along with the athletes, the Soul of the Games.
What was the recruitment process like to volunteer at the Olympics Games?
The application process opened in March 2023 (15 months before the start of the Games!) and you had about 6 weeks to apply. You needed to speak French or English and be available for a minimum of 10 days. You filled in a questionnaire about your motivations and went through a test, to be able to identified the mission that would fit the best your personality. This was a nice touch, so that every volunteer could feel fulfilled, excited and at ease in his or her role.
Around 300,000 (!) people applied and 6 months later the results started to come in. On November 28th, I received an email “Paris 2024 – Discover our proposal of mission”. To my surprise and delight, I was accepted and I even got selected for the mission that I marked as my preferred, working at the service of athletes at the para triathlon.
In March 2024, the organisation hosted a volunteer convention, a meeting for all volunteers to meet and kick off the programme. It wasn’t possible for me to attend in person but I could watch the replay. One of the highlight was to discover the uniforms! The reactions were unanimous, the uniform was very cool, practical and looking nice whatever your size. Decathlon who was the designer and manufacturer (also one sponsor of the Games) really did an amazing job. At that point it really felt like the countdown had started.
We were also given access to a variety of online content to getting us engaged in the project for the Games, prepare us for our mission and learning more about interactions with people with disabilities.
Proudly picking up my volunteer uniform before the start of the Paris 2024 Games
Where did you work? What did you do there?
I was at the site of the triathlon on the Bridge Alexandre III, in the heart of Paris. We were about 300 on that site and were sharing part of the venue with the team at The Grand Palais (hosting taekwondo and fencing).
Along 15 other volunteers, I was part of a team at “the service of the athletes”. My mission consisted in guiding the athletes on site, giving them information, making sure everything was clean and at the right place in their lounge and taking care of their equipment (bags, bikes and race wheelchairs) before and after competing. On competition day we ended it serving a total of 80 athletes, taking care of more than 80 bikes, hand bikes and tandems and 20 racing wheelchairs.
Some of my colleagues were volunteers also during the Olympic Games, some of us came only for the Paralympics. In our team, the final duration of our volunteering mission varied between 3 and more than 20 days depending of the missions and availability.
In the case of the para triathlon the original mission was 6 days but weather conditions threw in a couple of curve balls and the planning got adjusted a few times. I worked only 3 days for the para triathlon. The para triathlon schedule consisted of a swim familiarization in the Seine and coach briefing day, a swim, bike and run familiarisation and a full on race day (initially 2 days but regrouped into one).
Behind the scenes, The French team on race course familiarisation day
What was the difference between the Olympics and Paralympics Games?
The Paralympic Games always take place after the Olympic Games and with a few weeks in between. It is due to logistic constraints of having to adapt the sites and the Olympic village. Doing both simultaneously would require such an investment that it is just not viable.
Paris 2024 had a strong commitment on elevating the Paralympics. The same competitions sites in the heart of Paris that wowed the world were used for the Paralympics, just like the Olympic Games, with the same level of service to the public or to the athletes. But clearly the logistics of the Paralympics is much higher. A bit less than half the number of athletes, less disciplines but more categories (not only male or female) means a higher number of competitions.
Just with the example of the triathlon this became very clear: a total of 11 competitions (vs 3 during the Olympics men/women/relay). And a strong realisation: If you thought you needed loads of stuff for a triathlon, try para triathlon! Everyday wheelchair, racing wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, racing blades, tandems, adapted bikes… the list feels endless, and also from a human perspective: guides, and personnel handlers which are non-existent for the Olympic Games. More people, more kit. And sometimes unusual scenes: athlete “looking for [their] leg, left it in transition!”, prosthetic arms left on a chair, homemade solutions to adapt the bikes to specific needs. But our fantastic team was there to ensure all run as smoothly as possible.
The team setting up race wheelchairs and hand bikes of the para triathletes at Paris 2024
Did you get to see some events?
The event(s) you work on are probably the ones you will see the least as you are busy with your tasks. But I bought a few tickets for evenings and days off, and most volunteers did the same. The organisation also surprised us with a free ticket to watch the para athletics at the Stade de France.
Are volunteers compensated? Is it hard work?
No, as the name indicates the 45,000 Paris 2024 volunteers gave their time on a voluntary basis. I heard of a minority of volunteers in the framework of some international exchanges that were helped with accommodations. In the case of almost everyone else, it is on the volunteers to get to Paris and find a solution to stay during the Games. There were obviously lots of Parisian volunteering and many other (myself included) that stayed at a friend’s or at a family member –thank you sis for letting me sleep on your couch!. We got free transportation within the Paris area for the duration of the games and one meal a day. We were allowed to keep our uniforms too.
The missions and individual tasks are important but thanks to the extensive planning done upfront, the volunteers’ job is fairly straight forward. We were enough volunteers so that very rarely being left alone with one task and we were able to catch our breath during rush periods. In case of doubt it was very easy to ask our team leader. If you come with good vibes, energy (and in the case of outdoor events, flexibility!) you will have a great time.
The end of an adrenaline filled day, watching the PTVI male podium and the French pairs receiving their medals!
What will you remember of this experience?
A new word seem to have made its apparition in France “J.O.stalgic” (i.e. Jeux Olympics / Olympic Games nostalgic). After months (years for some) of anticipation, and two times 2 weeks of spectacle, performance, high emotions and strong community feeling, I can understand the feeling. Being in the front of your TV, in stadiums, on the side of the road and watching the best athletes in the world competing into a festive atmosphere was incredible. Having the chance to run on the Olympic route of the marathon during the Marathon Pour Tous was exceptional. But being a volunteer at the Games, and playing a small part in the success of this fantastic epopee is likely to remain my strongest memory.
It was an unique experience to live the Games from the inside. I will remember being first eye witness of athletes’ emotions: joy, satisfaction, deception or pre race nerves. The adrenaline waking up at 03:20am to check if the race was on and we were gonna put on a show. The ambiance in our volunteer groups, how magic the competition site was. Some of the exchanges I had with athletes, coach or staff, everyone was always very thankful of our help even though they had race pressure to deal with.
In general, I was surprised by the interactions with the local population. As French, we are usually renowned for being rude or grumpy but I got so many positive interactions from spectators or even just locals when wearing my uniform. At 5:00am, cycling through town to join the competition site, and nodding at other volunteers on their way too. The Police, moving their barriers to let you pass ; or this Parisian put down his car window to wish me a good day, kids waving at you in the subway. I also received several messages of accountancies thanking me for volunteering at the Games. Clearly, you got this impression of being part of something big, unique, which brought lots of joy and positive energy. The French were very grateful for the volunteers’ work! But to be honest, it’s my heart that is full with gratitude. I will have stars in my eyes while reminiscing this experience for the years to come!
It has been close to 2 years I didn’t write on the blog.
I am sure you didn’t miss me. But to be honest, I did miss you :).
A recent picture taken during a kayak tour close to Käringön island, Sweden
So what happened? It just feels like these 2 years have been slipping away.
After becoming an Ironman and at the same time completing the big goal I worked towards for 18 months (yes this all started before Covid!), I was a bit empty and quite happy with floating for a while. Nothing strange of having strong ironman blues. Then a few curve balls: A bit too much on the job side. Was tired. Got better. Got injured. Healed. Got injured again. Months passed.
I let my hosting name expire, I lost my old domain name: littlebigexplorations.com and everything went black. It became the convenient excuse to not try to write. An exercise that gives me lots of joy (even if nobody reads!) but is still harder than just scrolling or watching some TV.
Meanwhile, lots of great things happened too. And somehow, not documenting them -even just for myself- took out some of the fun of it. Reflecting on these great experiences a posteriori is a fantastic way to practice gratitude and also strengthen these memories. It is not too late though, and some of them that will probably inspire the next few posts.
This year, at the end of April this year I got struck with back injury that made it painful to sit or to stand for several weeks. Thought the exact cause hasn’t really be pinpointed, general tightness in the hip and lower back area seemed to be the culprint. Since then, I am recovering. I am better but I haven’t felt quite fully well. I am 36 and I feel like I am weak, and to be honest it also makes me feel a bit lost. I have grown lots of confidence over the last 10 years from the fact that I can do most of what I set my mind to. So when you don’t feel like you have a strong body and mind I guess it makes sense to be left wandering.
After the rain, rainbows!
This injury was a catalyst – It’s time to rebuild myself – to go and re-explore and at the same time to get back to my roots. And that means start writing again.
I am back here, on little-big-explorations.com (oh yes i had to slightly change domain name, big thanks to my brother for helping out to sort this!) – To be honest it is almost the same, but a bit different. Just like the new chapter that is starting now, after a long interlude.
You can expect tales about Sweden. I have really settled well on the west coast of Sweden, and I am really happy to call Göteborg my home for more than 3 years now – despite some long winters and a very rainy month of July! The nature here is magical: forest, sea, lakes ; just at your door steps.
You can also expect some tales about further places and other life explorations.
“Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you are gonna pick.”
You- Are- An- Ironman! It’s not often that you feel you transcended your abilities. That you feel like you deliver the best you could with the cards you had. For me such a day happened in August this year, the day I raced my first ironman (long distance triathlon).
Almost two years after I signed up for it, I could finally toe the start line. Between me and my goal of completing an ironman stood a 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and a marathon to run (42.2km).
You can choose to watch the video … or … you can keep reading :-). Or you can do both 🙂
Ironman Copenhagen 2021 – Race report
I didn’t sleep much the 2 previous nights but felt really prepared, relaxed and excited at the start. On the morning of the race, I was really excited to see the conditions for the day were ideal: 20C, no wind and sunny. As always when I race, once I was fully prepared and in my wetsuit, I felt a sense of calm and excitement. This was the big day! I trained hard for this and my goal was to enjoy it and deliver the best I could.
The calm before the storm
Ironman Swim: 3.8km at Amager Strandpark
The swim is in a protected laguna and we were treated to very calm waters. The rolling start meant seeding yourself and I chose the 1h13-1h17 group. At 18C and with the sun rising, the water temperature was great and I was happy to feel I was swimming efficiently. The water was shallow at places, most of the course consisting of 2 long stretches so you didn’t need to sight much. Couldn’t draft off feet so much as constantly catching up. I started to be cold and feeling hungry (already?) after about a bit more than 2km. I felt I was swimming efficiently and fast, good feel for the water, good gliding. I kept it steady and tried to focus on good form.
With a total time under 01h09, I swam much quicker than I thought, which explained why I kept catching up with people and couldn’t really draft. I made a mental note to be braver next time and plan for a slighty more aggressive time as my swim has developed quite well.
I took my time in T1. I got a bit too cold during the swim and struggled with frozen hands but I left feeling ready for what lied ahead.
Ironman Bike: 180km on the coast and in the Danish countryside
The 180km course consists of 2 laps along the sea side and through rolling countryside. It is really varied and there were lots of spectators on the side of the road, some having a glass of wine in their gardens while cheering on the participants! It brought a big smile on my face and I gave lots of waves.
I was delighted to notice the body was responding well. The training had paid of and the taper as well, I felt fresh and I was pedalling efficiently, moving at a “steady” intensity. I had a blast in the first lap, and managed to hold the aero position really well. I was mostly keeping with nutrition plan (bars, around 50/60g carbs per hour). One thing I remember from the bike was that any french speaking person passing me was cheering me on -they recognized the little tricolore flag on the Bib number. On the ironman, the pace is not as intense as in other distances, and I felt more camaraderie.
By the end of first lap, it started to be difficult to eat as much. On second lap after 5h of racing I started to feel like a zombie, really sleepy. It was really strange and I feared I wouldn’t be able to complete the bike. I took a few minutes off the bike at an aid station to regain my spirits and took a caffeine gel even though I knew it will probably not work well for my stomach. This fixed the sleep problem but I started to have cramps in stomach and nausea. I couldn’t eat more so I focussed on drinking and had a gel for the rest of the bike.
I was uncomfortable in TT position due to the stomach but I thought of all the encouragements I got from friends ahead of the race (thank you all!) and decided I couldn’t take the easy way. I told myself to dig deep and try to hold the position as much as possible and continue to push steady. I was really happy to see the family on course again and just shouted to them that I had a really bad stomach. It just felt good to have told somebody!
T2 – As I reached the transition area, I was relieved to be off the bike. No crash, and mostly a bike leg well managed. I rode in 6h06, with an estimated total stop time of around 6-7min, I paced it quite well and I could feel I still had energy left in the tank. As I made my way out of T2, I just hoped that things will get better on the run.
Ironman Run: 42km in the heart of Copenhagen, with thousands of spectators cheering on
Right away, I realised the nausea was really strong and that it will make things difficult. I decided to walked all aid stations from the start and to take in nutrition in a calm manner. My breathing was calm and my muscles were functioning well, but the stomach spasms and the nausea prevented me from going quicker. I felt like puking but nothing was going out. It was uncomfortable but I was so happy to race that I could put it aside and focussed on the task.
The course is in the heart of Copenhagen with many many spectator lined up which gave a massive boost. I was smiling all the way. My family was encouraging me of course, but also perfect strangers. There were unfortunately not so many women out there so I think I received a little extra cheer!
Things can get pretty scary during the run of an ironman. I saw a guy who looked badly dehydrated and as I offered help, he stumbled and collapsed on the ground in front of me, as his legs didn’t function anymore. A woman assisted by medical staff had blood on her face, she probably stumbled as well. I reminded myself that nutrition was key. At every station, I had a sip of water and a sip of coke (earlier on I had Gatorade but realized I didn’t digested it well). I also had a Maurten gel every 40min.
It is often said that the real ironman starts after 21km in the run. I saw it around me, other participants were slower than before, I was catching up a few people. I was grateful I took things conservatively during the day. At kilometer 30, things started to get quite difficult. The calves started cramping badly and I had to grind my teeth a bit.
A marathon is a long way. But I never focussed on the marathon, I only focussed on running one lap at a time, I do that in the best way I could. I had a really strong mindset and never got overwhelmed by the distance. Overall, I am Super happy with the running time (4h17) and I didn’t slow down that much (1h01, 1h03, 1h06, 1h08 for each lap), good pacing. I managed to enjoy it and savour it, especially on the last lap. It was a really strange mix of working through the pain to try to make it below the 12h mark and the enjoyment of the race.
The finish line I will never forget – 11h49min
And then, you turn to the finish line. It’s difficult to describe what you feel. I remember seeing the speaker, I started running on the red carpet, the noise was defeating with the spectators slamming the barriers like in a stadium. People cheer you on, you feel like a rock star. I see my family. It’s 50m left and you see your name and your current racing time, ticking along. I think it’s there it really hit me, I saw the time starting with 11h, I thought about all the hard work and became just overwhelmed with emotion. I screamed. Everything happens in a few seconds, and I don’t even remember hearing “you are an ironman”, but it didn’t matter – because I knew I was. I became an ironman and I was left with an amazing feeling of pride and accomplishment.
This day was everything I could have wished for. Ok maybe I will pass on the stomach issues and the visit to the medical tent after 30min after the finish, but I think it is only a testimony of how hard these events are on your body.
Q&A
An ironman is a long day out, did you get bored?
No. Through out the almost 12h it took me to complete the race, I didn’t get bored a single minute. Consistent training and learning to swim, cycle and run longer and longer distances every week helps to adjust your mind to what is long or short. Plus, they are many things to think of: remember to eat and drink regularly, holding the distances to avoid drafting on the bike, focus on the right technique and the best gearing. And last, but not least, spotting your friends and family on the course and reading the banners they wrote for you!
Ironman finish line feeling!
Is it hard to finish an ironman?
Of course it was hard. Staying focussed on the task at hand for such a long period is really hard. Continuing to run on the marathon when your calves seize up and scream you to walk is hard. With the ironman, the paces and intensities are relatively low, so you don’t feel like you are on the edge for the full race, as if you were running a 5km race at full speed. The tiredness creeps in slowly. You may feel you still have energy, but you just can’t go faster as your body is protesting (nutrition issues, muscle fatigue etc).
But I want to say that relatively, the race day was easier than training for many hours week after week for such a long period of time. I guess that’s why they say: “Train hard, race easy”. A serious training will make the ironman doable, if not almost enjoyable!
Will you do it again?
Definitely. The feeling of accomplishment for this race topped everything else I felt before. It was stronger than graduating from high school or university or any other event I have done before. The journey learnt be so much.
But the ironman broke me a little bit as well. Two months later, I think I am now more or less fully recovered. I dug deep physically and mentally and the recovery was long. So I won’t do another one tomorrow.
The North Coast 500 road is a 500ish miles journey through some of the most remote areas of the north of Scotland. On this road trip you will marvel at beaches, mountains, lochs, fresh sea food and much more.
This is the story of a 7 day road trip on the North Coast of Scotland. The idea had been planted in my head several years ago, during a previous Scottish trip. We met travellers who couldn’t stop but raving about the wild beauty of the deserted North. We swore to come back and to see it with our own eyes.
Autumn colours over Little Loch Broom taken from the Badrallach campsite on our North Coast 500 Scottish roadtrip.
Planning your trip
We had a week for the road trip and after a bit of research decided to start by the east coast. The West coast is definitely the most spectacular part of the road and packed with hidden gems. I would definitely recommend spending more time there. For the same reason, try to drive anti-clockwise (starting from Inverness) to go from beautiful to grandiose. You won’t regret it.
Let the landscape and a good map be your guides. As a co-pilot (with the boyfriend being the driving wheel), I planned our stops around view points, beaches and cafes, following the pictograms on the map. The below itinerary is inspired from our own trip in September 2019. Like all articles on this blog, I only highlight places we visited/ stayed/ ate that we particularly enjoyed.
North Coast 500: 7 day itinerary and points of interests
Getting there
We woke up with the murmur of the rolling train. It is the beauty of taking a night train, fall sleep in London and waking up in the countryside, on the over side of the country! The Caledonian Sleeper train links London to Inverness in 12h. Prices vary but a twin classic cabin with 2 bunk beds is likely to cost you around 200-250GBP (one way).
What do you want this year to be? To kick off the new year I want to share with you a London outdoors and sport calendar, or 12 ideas (one for each month of the year) to have an adventurous year without leaving the British capital city.
It may seem counter intuitive but it’s during my 4 years spend in London, one of the biggest cities in Europe that I became really addicted to the outdoors and developed a passion for sports events. From swimming to cycling to paddling or climbing, living in a big city offers so many opportunities to try out new things and participate in epic events.
Dash for the Splash, a local cross run in the Wimbledon Park and one of the thousands of events held in London every year
I have put together a collection of events, challenges or micro adventure that I have tried myself, loved and which I can highly recommend. For most of these you don’t need any specific equipment, just a dose of adventure and a bit of motivation to get out of your comfort zone and try something new.
As the end of the year is upon us, I always like to take a few moments to look back on the last 365 days. It truly has been a fantastic year for sports, outdoors and new discoveries!
I wonder if this is how Michael Phelps felt after the Olympics!
I really enjoyed all of them in their on right, they were a mix of very local events (dash for the splash) to major commercial events such as the Half Ironman. One major “event” was 100% home brewed, the exciting London to Paris ride.
This year was about swim, bike, run but also row for the first time to conclude 4 epic years in London.
This is the “short” events list of what I got up to this year:
Polar bear challenge. Maybe one of my hardest challenge yet. A challenge pushing my mental limits and forcing me to stay consistent. I learned a lot about myself and my own motivations.
In March 2019, I participated in the Red Bull Neptune Steps event in Glasgow. Along with 600 participants, I dived in in the dark and cold waters of the Forth and Clyde canal, swam 420 meters up the canal and climb over 7 obstacles, one at each of the lock gates. I had my eyes on this event for 2 years, and in 2019, I took the icy plunge.
This is why you should sign-up for the 2020 edition and tips to not only survive it but enjoy this truly epic event…
Fighting an icy waterfall to climb over the lock gate. Credit: Red Bull
If you ever envied Baloo from The Jungle Book, floating downstream a river effortlessly, the River Adur swim in England is for you! The swim is a wetsuit legal (even mandatory!), tide assisted, salty 5km event, making it one of your fastest 5km you will ever swim. It makes it also a perfect first event for those you have swum a few times outdoors but are looking to cover a bit more distance.
The perfect conditions for a great swim
It is always more fun to swim with friends. To celebrate the end of the season, we were a few members of our swim club to join that day in Shoreham-by-Sea, on the south coast of the UK. Our group represented mix experiences and abilities in term of swimming. Though we were all confident swimmers or triathletes, several did their first river swim that day while some others were open water swimming veterans. For me, it was the occasion to come back to river swim after my fantastic experience at the Dart 10km Marathon Swim.
“Excuse me, can I ask what is going on here? You all have very strange outfits?” enquired an old lady walking her dog. She was right: hundreds of people, wearing trainers, neoprene shorty wetsuits, swim caps and googles was a disturbing sight at 8.00am on a Sunday morning. We were all getting ready to start the Authieman swimrun. Originally from Sweden, swimrun is one of the fastest growing outdoor endurance sports. Participants complete a course alternating running and open water swimming section. As a person who loves both sports I had to give it a go. And who better to do it with me than with my sister?
After last year’s racing season had to stop brutally in June due to injury, I lined up on the start line of Staffordshire Half Ironman early June with a goal of sub 6h in my mind. With a year of rehabilitation for my ankle/foot, and 4 full months of dedicated training on the 3 sports, I knew this was possible if I could execute an excellent race. Little did I know it will be so hard to reach.
Staffordshire Ironman 70.3 June 2019 – Race report
We drove from London the day before the race under pouring rain. As we checked our bikes in Transition 1, I looked at the greyish lake shivering and thought “Oh my God, I really don’t want to race”. We went to the race briefing, which put me more into the mood (or maybe it was because the rain stopped?) and after on early dinner, we call it a day and went to bed early. I woke up every hour just like before every early morning race, worried we will miss the alarm clock.
At dawn, the sky was totally blue and all the sudden I felt much more excited to race ; I couldn’t wait to be the water. After a quick breakfast and the encouragements of Ironman’s Managing Director (he was staying in our hotel), we set off to the race shuttle. We arrived at the lake and checked the bikes one more time. We got ready without stress under the sound of motivational songs played on loud speaker.
