Volunteering at Birmingham Diamond League Meeting!!

Volunteering as Transponder Collector

On Sunday 7th June I volunteered at the Diamond League Meeting at Birmingham Alexandra Stadium.

            

I took a train from Coventry to Birmingham New Street and then got a taxi to the Alexandra Stadium. Once I arrived I checked in at accreditation tent before going to the volunteer room inside the stadium. We were given a hat and a volunteer t-shirt which was bright orange.

After a bit my group was taken to athletes call room and trackside area for training on how to do our job. All we had to do was to get the trackers, which record the lap times of all the athletes as they left the track and then hand them in.

Once our training was done we were free to wonder around the grounds. I went with four other people as we looked around the grounds including having some food and watching a bit of athletics even if we kept moving places. After a bit we made our way back to our meeting point to start our role.

There was a lot of waiting around as we only had to do our role for six events. They were 800 and 1500 metres for men and women, men's 5000 metres and the 3000 metres steeplechase for women. Jake Wrightman, was one of athletes who I got a tracker off, he also gave me his name sheet which all athletes have attached to their kit. During the day I got close to alot of athletes including Adam Gemili, Dina Asher-Smith, Laura Muir, Laura Weightman, Tiffany Porter and Eilidh Child. I also walked straight past Denise Lewis, Paula Radcliffe, Colin Jackson and Steve Cram who were working for the BBC.

After the last race of the day which was 1500 metres for women we made our way back to the volunteer room to pick up our stuff. I then made my way home via two train’s first Perry Bar to Birmingham New Street and then Birmingham New Street to Coventry.

After the event I watched a recording of the athletics on the BBC and found a brillant picture of me in action. (See above)

It was fantastic opportunity and definitely something I would want to do again hopefully in 2016. I am also looking at becoming a volunteer at the World Championships in London in 2017 and at the World Indoor Championship in Birmingham in 2018.