Journey to be ONE of the 70,000 Olympic Volunteers

It has been a long journey until I received the letter of confirmation from BOCOG on 12 June 2008 that I am being selected as a Volunteer for the 29th Olympics Games in Beijing. YAY!

It started all the way back last year in March 2007 which my mum spotted a small advertisement in the local newspaper that BOCOG will be taking in volunteers from overseas. A simple question raised : "Are you interested?" without any doubt, i answered "YES!".

From there, i searched through the internet, enquiring some friends related to KBS, OCM... I registered through the general website of Beijing, and within a few months, the registration grew to an enormous number of applications from people all around the world. The chances of getting selected is smaller and smaller each and everyday...

I did not give up as this could be once in a lifetime opportunity to join and experience the biggest sports event in the world. Until i got to know that there will be a selection held in KL which I took a day off from my work to go for it. It was all worthwhile after a whole day of test and interview and hours of waiting... which I got selected!

However, this selection was only a preliminary one held locally, afterall it is all up to the decision from BOCOG, which everyone of us waited for months and months... with emails received from BOCOG requesting for information and more information... but not a final decisive answer on whether we are on the flight to Beijing.

At last, on 12th June 2008, the long awaited email arrived. Yes, 10 of us, the Olympic Volunteers from Malaysia are confirmed a ticket to Beijing!

I do hope that the 10 of us will do Malaysia proud and bring back all the sweet memories from (maybe) a once in a lifetime opportunity as an Olympic Volunteer.

We will carry the spirit of "Malaysia Boleh!" and "One World One Dream"

See you in Beijing, with 32 days to go...

- Joanne -