Having been on the receiving end of the contributions that volunteers make in a number of previous races I firstly wanted to give something back and secondly, expected to have a good day with a new bunch of people.
I was not disappointed!
I was scheduled to assist in Transition in the afternoon session of the event. This meant that I expected to be seeing the tail end of the individuals as well as the team events. I will admit that seeing the individuals appealed to me as I was hoping to pick up some hints and tips for my own foray into the sport.....
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| Transition of the teams (swim - ride) |
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| There are swimmers out there....promise! |
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| Pretty close to the start of the run... |
Well, the event organisers had other thoughts :) I was a couple of hours early for my "shift" so after a wander about and a cheer (got to see the leading pro men and women finish!! AMAZING!) and a browse of the merchandise on offer at the expo (had to work hard not to spend my money....just yet! Random side note: I don't feel it is right for me to wear any IM branded stuff until I have completed a race...after that...I will even wear the branded undies if they sell them!!!
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| One of these days I'll be on the other side of the flags! |
When I arrived at the station things were in full flow! I mean it was H-E-C-T-I-C! It was pretty much the mid session of the individuals passing through the area. A bit of context here, it is a 3 lap course and it was a double aid station (ie one side out and one side back) so we got the see people a few times. The teams that were manning the station on either side were flat out. That said, they smiled and welcomed me over and gave me quick hints and tips on how to distribute and set me up to get going! I loved the two standout tips....SMILE! and try to move with the competitor to stop your shoulder getting wrenched out (hang on....when was my shoulder surgery?!)
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| A quiet moment between waves of people |
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| Cloudy but not a bad view for an aid station... |
There were people of all shapes and sizes, all abilities and skill levels, best gear and "ordinary gear" and so many smiles!! So many people expressed gratitude when they were handed or took a drink, so so many smiling faces. I mean seriously, even people in pain managed a smile or two and they were on their way. INSPIRATIONAL!
All of my excuses are invalid!
One lady....double mastectomy and she was due to have chemo on the Sunday...there racing as an individual!
Another lady...arm amputated at the shoulder...running (FAST) as the team runner!
A third person...their team rider didn't make it so they jumped on the bike, had three punctures and kept going and was nearly last in the run but never stopped going!
I really wish I could type more about how amazing and inspirational all the competitors were and how I feel that I was privileged to be able to help them in some small way on their race day!
I started out the day handing out water but moved onto giving out ice. Holy smokes, you would have thought that I was handing out gold bullion...the excitement and happiness on peoples faces when they heard me calling out "ICE....ICE HERE (channelled my inner market stall worker)" was close to comical. Most people crunched it but not all....no not all! I got to see ice put in place that ice should not really go!! *shudder* *sittingrockinginthecorner*
I was later moved over to handing out "Coke and Lollies"...cue much merriment at the way I say "Coke and Lollies" and how it sounded a little bit suspect and maybe I should move to something less "creepy". I didn't and many people where happy to take some of my "Coke and Lollies" thankyouverymuch :)
As the day started to come to a close, the demands on the stand were beginning to quiet down we were able to interact more and chat.
Some of the team members had taken part in this race in years passed and wanted to give something back, a couple were taking part in other races in the coming months, some were "professional" volunteers and the couple that ran the stand had been running the stand for 12 out of 13 years (only missed 1 year as he had competed that year). They were exactly as I expected, an amazing bunch of really really nice people who selflessly gave of their time to help fellow man in their time of need!
The site was scheduled to be closed at 5pm. There were still several racers out on the course at this time and as such we took a vote (not that it was needed as the decision was instant and unanimous) that we would keep the station open until the last person passed the station! We hollered and cheered and applauded each and every person that came passed. They were digging so deep into their personal reserves and we wanted them to know how chuffed we were for them! As the last competitor approached our station you could have been forgiven for thinking that some celebrity was approaching as we went nuts (all 8 of us!). This person was so much more than a mere celebrity they were on their way to being an Ironman!!!
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| Honour guard home... |
It was a great day and I walked away feeling very humbled having witnessed the achievements of the athletes. I was even more so, grateful for being able to be part of the volunteering team, to help out when people needed it most and for sharing a completely different perspective on a race day!
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| An awesome sunset not given the justice it deserves....much like the awesome day I experienced! |
Well done and my sincere thanks to all volunteers out there! I now have even more respect and thanks for all that you do on race day!!
Have a great day and weekend and thanks for reading.
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