They won't be competing, but they will play a big role in determining who will win gold, silver and bronze in figure skating and women's hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Alison Camenisch and Terry Lavery are going to the Olympics next week in Vancouver helping to perfect the competition ice.
Alison, a Grade 12 student at Chatelech Second-ary School, has been a member of the Sunshine Coast Skating Club since 1996. She has been accepted to work as an Olympic volunteer for the figure skating competition at the Pacific Coliseum as a member of four teams of six skaters who will assist in maintaining ice safety for the competitors during all events and practices. It will require a commitment of more than 100 hours during a three-week period.
The application process for the Games began more than two years ago and required training at the 2009 Four Continents Figure Skating competition.
Alison said she was very excited when she got the call notifying her of her acceptance for the Olympics.
"If I can't compete, it's probably the closest I will come to being a part of the Olympics," she said.
Alison, along with the other skaters, will sit at ice level behind the boards and in between competitors will patch the ice if there are any holes, and pick up anything that may have fallen off the competitors costumes. It might not be a glamorous job, but it's certainly important.
"If there are holes on the ice and someone hits those and falls down, it could cost them a medal," said Alison. "It's a pretty important job."
After teaching school on the Coast for 15 years, Lavery looked at a new career path two years ago when the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) built the new recreation centre in Gibsons. For the past two and half years, he's been one of many SCRD arena facility operators and never dreamed of being in the Olympics. But that all changed a few months ago.
Lavery applied for the opportunity through the Recreation Facility Association of B.C., an association that he is part of, when the call came out last year for icemakers.
"I found out I was chosen in October," he recalled. "Not in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever go to the Olympics, yet alone volunteer at the event. The opportunity presented itself, and it worked out in my favour."
Lavery will be at UBC from Feb. 12 to 20 during the women's hockey tournament driving the ice machines and helping to maintain the ice.
"It's pretty exciting. I must admit that as it's getting closer I'm starting to get caught up in all the hype and hoopla," he said.
