If you managed to catch any of the Paralympics, you could not have missed the hundreds of blue coated volunteer "Smurfs" in the background.
The ratio of volunteers to athletes at the cross country venue in Whistler was nearly four to one. Some Sunshine Coasters took volunteer positions at the Whistler Paralympic Park (Callaghan ski area).
Ivy Miller and Joan Fox were part of the stadium crew, working directly with the athletes, checking skis, moving warm-up clothing from the start to the finish and "wrangling," a term for keeping tabs on the medalists and making sure they get to the podium on time for their awards.
Miller and Fox could also be seen moving snow and helping to keep the start/finish area looking great for the TV cameras.
Sue Duxbury landed a plum job on the marking crew which involved skate skiing and snowmobiling. Heading out early, after the groomers had finished preparing the course for the race, the marking crew was responsible for making sure the course was well marked, especially for the visually impaired athletes. The course could change several times depending on the race and the racers, so the marking crew was kept busy all day long.
Steve Sleep took on the early shift working with the snow groomers, often starting at 4:30 a.m. The grooming team had to prepare the snow for the race early enough to let it freeze or "set up" before the race. On rainy days, the set up was sped up through the use of a fertilizer-like oxidant called race base. The oxidant was sprayed over the snow, causing it to freeze and giving the racers a good solid base to ski on.
The other job of the grooming team was to set the tracks in the snow for the classic skiers. In some cases, it took several passes with the track setting machines to get all the lines in. In order to get the tracks straight and parallel, a laser beam was used to guide the groomers along.
It was truly an amazing opportunity to work alongside these incredible Paralympians. They displayed a love of sport and enthusiasm for competition that had nothing in common with the financial machine of the Olympics. These athletes should be an inspiration to us all.
- Submitted
