A lucky Games Maker receives a fistbump from the perennial showman Usain Bolt, who is relaxed as ever before his race.CREDIT Getty Images/Afp Photo/Frank Fife
Following the 2012 London Olympics, the country has been engulfed in “Games Maker Envy.”
The 70,000 people chosen to assist in organizing the Games of the XXX Olympiad had a crucial role in the event’s success and spirit. They will always remember it in a way that mere spectators could never hope to match.
Working directly with the athletes themselves has to be the ultimate honor and most exciting task among the numerous responsibilities of the London Games Makers. There is a hierarchy even within this, the highest of which is discovering that you would be working alongside Usain Bolt, one of the finest of them all.
With such a master showman and larger-than-life personality, the physical proximity is thrilling enough on its own, but there’s also always the possibility of a fist bump, a joke shared, or, if you’re George Hoy, whose rota occurred to position him at the men’s 200-meter heats, a wooly hat.
I was volunteering at the 2012 Games; I had obtained this opportunity through my membership in the athletics club. One of my primary responsibilities was lugging the athletes’ equipment boxes. I discovered that we were hosting the men’s 200-meter qualifications on my second or third day, and of course, everyone knew that Bolt would be competing in one of those. Each of us had to wait to select a lane number before being assigned to a race. We soon discovered that we had been fortunate enough to feel Bolt’s heat, and when I realized that Bolt was in my lane, I was in complete disbelief.
As the competitors emerged, we were making our way to the starting line when I noticed Bolt—who is enormous in real life—walking over and asking, “What’s up?” while stuffing his shoes and bag into the box. We gave each other a fist bump as he was taking a few paces, taking off his tracksuit, and getting ready to race.
He removed his hat last, and because we had had a brief conversation, I told him I thought it looked good. The next thing I knew, he was passing it over and saying, “Oh, here.” As the audience went wild, he rushed off grinning toward the blocks. The hat is still with me; it hangs on my wall.
At the time, I was an avid middle distance runner, and Bolt is the fastest guy alive, so naturally, he is one of my heroes. Bolt appeared to be having a great time on the track in front of the audience, while some of the other athletes were undoubtedly more concerned. Of course, it would have been ideal if other athletes had interacted with the public in a similar manner, but you have to remember that for some, this was their first Olympics, and the majority of them were focused on competing rather than passing out clothes.
If Bolt didn’t have such a strong personality, it would still be simple to like him because he is the fastest man alive! To be different from many other athletes, he also always has a smile on his face and exudes a laid-back vibe while performing for the cameras, racing to the best of his ability, and spending time interacting with volunteers and the fans.
Bolt’s gift to Will Coles wasn’t quite as sturdy. The London Games volunteer really consumed it.
One of Coles’ shifts outside the athlete housing at the University of Birmingham, where the Jamaican team was doing their training camp, happened to coincide with the team’s arrival back from a nearby movie theater. Under Bolt’s leadership, the sprinters gave their introductions and agreed to entertain the students for a few hours. In that time, they ordered a McDonald’s meal for the volunteer and themselves.
Despite his position, he was incredibly humble and always delighted to visit and speak with us, even though it wasn’t required of him. We conversed about everyday topics, the kind of stuff any young guys would talk about, and there was never any indication that he thought less of any of us. He’s six feet five, so I suppose he physically denigrated most of us, but other than that.
He was attractive and personable, and even though he was willing to work for it, he always seemed to give it his best in training, running every lap and repetition his coach instructed. “The way he comes across on TV isn’t a performance.”
I will always remember the entire experience since it was so bizarre. Not only did Usain and the other Jamaican athletes treat you like a peer, but they also made a great effort to get along with you. I consider it a great blessing that I was able to collaborate with them.
In case you weren’t already jealous of the people who create the games…