3. Size matters...

Wow, what an exciting almost-2 weeks!  It's been so refreshing to do something so different, and yet I've also had the opportunity to use many of my existing skills.  I've been helping on various different tasks, and my brain is being stuffed full learning about our venue and its complexities, the different types of transport involved, the huge machine that is LOCOG and the different teams that work to put on what will undoubtedly be an amazing event. 

So far I have visited the venue twice and I tell you, it is HUGE.  The building itself is around 600m long and takes 10 minutes to walk from end to end, at a brisk walk.  There will be five arenas, all operating at the same time.  If you can then imagine the number of spectators, athletes and coaches/team members, officials and VIPs, media and broadcast and workforce that will be coming to and from the venue through the day, it is frankly mindblowing.  Oh yes and each of these "client types" comes to the venue via a different method of transport, (e.g., bus), some of them with several different transport systems (e.g., 5 different bus systems).   

Our hotdesk area is next to some of the sports functions that are coordinating what exactly goes on for their competitions and events.  If you are a fencing or weightlifting or table tennis fan, I am working next to the people who run that competition and determine exactly how the weapons will be checked, the weights transported and how many table tennis balls will be needed for the entire competition.  I've also been in contingency planning meetings where it is clear that the experts from each field really know their stuff and are working hard to coordinate their efforts.  It's inspiring to be in such a buzzing environment and as we count down towards Games Time, the great "immovable deadline", that feeling is only going to intensify.  

A bit of Olympic "sport" stuff that I have learnt:
"Sport" = All the events that are sanctioned by one international sport federation.  Example: wrestling
"Discipline" = One sport may be divided into several disciplines, which are often regarded as separate sports in common language.  Examples:  freestyle or greco-roman wrestling
"Event" = An event is a competition that leads to the award of medals.  Examples: mens freestyle is broken down into weight categories, from bantamweight to super heavyweight (up to 120kg!)

*Note: not actual representations of bantamweight or super heavyweight wrestlers


I'll finish this post with a random fact: Before point scoring was introduced, wrestling matches continued until one wrestler was forced to the ground. At Stockholm 1912, Russia's Max Klein and Finland's Alfred Asikainen set an Olympic Games record with a match that lasted 11 hours.

2. Day 1 and ticket information

First day!  Today I attended an orientation / induction / generic training session with a hundred and fifty other new starters, from various different departments and venues.  LOCOG are running several such training days every week now - and it's no wonder, with a total number of paid staff numbering around 6,000, not to mention more than 125,000 contractors and 70,000 volunteers.  

The training was designed to inspire us to go beyond our personal best to make the Games happen.  There were also some interesting discussions on inclusion and diversity, and how to deal with situations in an appropriate manner.  I thought it was quite thought provoking, particularly in the context of the Paralympic Games which I will be working on as well.

Tomorrow I will meet my manager and start in the office.  I look forward to finding out more about what I'll be doing from day to day and meeting everyone who I'm going to be working with (just hope I can remember at least a few names!)

I've had a few people ask if I can score some free tickets to events for them - unfortunately the answer is no (otherwise I would be SO popular, that is, even more popular than I already am), but here is some information about how you can still get tickets:

• remaining tickets will go on general sale from 11am on 23 May 2012 from here.
• from "Spring 2012" (whenever that may be, as of last week it still felt a bit like winter) a ticket resale programme will begin, with a number of different sales channels.  You are encouraged to check that whatever website you are using to buy or sell tickets from is a legit and approved one - don't get scammed!  
• for team sports within the Olympic Park (Handball, Hockey, Basketball and Water Polo) that have multiple matches/games in a session, tickets will be scanned out when spectators leave prior to the second or last match/game.  You can then buy these tickets for a nominal price at a designated Ticket Box Office close to the venue.  So, keep an eye on the schedule and perhaps you could catch the second half of a session for tiddlywinks.  I'm told the Olympic Park is really worth a visit in its own right so it wouldn't be a waste of time to turn up and see what happens.  

1. Fencing: do they use No. 8 wire?

Yup, I got a job at the Olympics!  Nope, not as a lawyer.  This is my important-sounding job title: Deputy Venue Transport Manager.  Nope, I don't know what that means either.  Here is a short excerpt from my job description:


Assist in development and planning of all London 2012 Transport Operations for a particular venue, including:

• Bus load zone access and staging
• Parking and permitting operations
• Traffic Management
• Staffing requirements
• Participate in Test Event planning and operations as required

I will be based, I think, at the ExCeL centre in London's docklands area (and I didn't just haphazardly use my shift key, it is actually supposed to be spelt LikE ThAt).  Amongst the events taking place at that particular venue is fencing.  Did you know:

• Fencing categories are Epee, Foil and Sabre (this bedroom joke might explain the difference between the three, or it may not).
• After the Paris 1924 Games, the Italian and Hungarian teams settled a scoring controversy with a real-life duel.
  

So, what qualifies me for this job? I can't even drive (very well), and obviously I know nothing about fencing.   78 days to go until the opening ceremony, and a week and a half till I start my job.  I'll let you know what it's all about when I find out for myself!