Paralympic Volunteer Training Part II

Rode the KTX Train from Seoul Station to Jinbu, a smooth and efficient ride once I figured out the correct platform, car and seat! Thankfully, many Koreans are gracious and guide lost travelers seeking their way.

Next, we boarded a shuttle bus from Jinbu Station to Olympic Accreditation Center in Pyeong Chang. After verifying identity, taking a new photo and obtaining credentials to access venues, it was time to try on 8 pieces of our Paralympic volunteer uniform. North Face designed the colorful and warm waterproof uniform. We received a bonus of a commemorative Swatch watch by Omega.

Another bus and off to WelliHelli Ski Resort for volunteer training. Sure glad I brought some ham and cheese bread for lunch on the road!  We completed a multi-part online language and culture training before traveling to South Korea and the Paralympic Winter Games. A next step was group volunteer training for Korean and English-speaking volunteers at WelliHelli Youth Hostel.

President Lee Hee-beom of the Pyeong Chang Olympic Organizing Committee welcomed us on our first day with sincere appreciation for becoming The Passion Crew and contributing to success of the Games! A variety of speakers shared insights about Olympic history and evolution of Paralympic Sports, service manners and global etiquette, assisting individuals with disabilities and providing accommodations, safety and security of athletes and audience, gender equality and safe sport.

Our "Room 506" Clan learned to adapt and sleep Korean style, five men on pallets in a single spare room with small adjacent sink and toilet. We enjoyed the heated floors, which helped aging backs! At first, it seemed odd not to have furniture in the room, but I recalled times when much younger growing up in a small family home and sharing 2 bedrooms with four brothers. We practiced "Ari-Ari," meaning finding a way or a solution.


We joined other international volunteers from New Zealand, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Greece and Chile to share cafeteria meals of rice, dried fish, kim-chee, seawood soup, pickled radish and small sausages and learned to manage paper drinking cups! Pub visits were "mandatory" during evenings, a chance to get to know one another in a relaxed setting.

We feel excited about beginning individual work assignments tomorrow in seven different functional areas, including Game Information, Operational Support, Media, Technology, Protocol & Language, Sport and Medical Service.