Basically [November 27, 2008] was a one on one interview then a 4 hour orientation.  At the beginning they brought out one of the official Olympic torches from the Torino games and you had to hold it while you introduced yourself.  Seems I’ll be helping in one of the skiing sports but I have to wait till they send me an offer which can be as late as summer ’09 but apparently will be much sooner as they want me to help with the Freestyle World Cup in February ’09, but nothing is official.

The orientation was info on the expectations of a volunteer and a lot of team building exercises but no training. We did get a cool looking information binder that explains a lot more. We also got a sticker and a pin.

I sent you a picture of the binder, sticker and pin as well as the welcome letter and periodically I’ll send you scans of key pages from the binder.

I’ll let you know if and/or when I get an offer from them.

I am very happy to have a connection on the inside of the Olympics, but I really do wish that it was me.  If the 2016 Olympics make it to Chicago, I’ll be one of the first to volunteer.

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay to connect and inspire Canadians from coast to coast to coast

The torch relay doesn’t actually begin until October 30, 2009, but Vancouver Olympic officials have recently revealed the Relay route and are accepting applications for torchbearers.  This Canadian relay sounds like it will be quite impressive.   It promises to be the longest domestic relay in Olympic history, covering around 28,000 miles (45000 km).  The relay route passes through more than 1,000 communities and will be within a one hour drive of more than 90% of every person living in Canada.

The flame will even travel to Alert, Nunavut, the northern-most permanently inhabited place in the world.  This will bring the Olympic flame within 560 miles (900 km) of the North Pole (maybe Santa will get to be one of the torchbearers)!

The torch itself and the torchbearer uniform will be unveiled early in 2009.

You can see this historic relay route on this Interactive Map of the Torch Relay Route.

About the Route

The sacred Olympic Flame is lit in an ancient ritual in Olympia, Greece, site of the first Olympic Games. After a short run through Greece, the Olympic Flame arrives in Athens, where it is handed over to a representative from the Host Country.
From there, the Olympic Flame will make a trans-Atlantic flight and arrive in Canada, signaling the start of the longest Olympic Torch Relay to take place in a single country.

About the Relay

The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, proudly presented by Coca-Cola and RBC, will connect Canadians in every province and territory, throughout a 45,000-kilometre journey, over approximately 100 days, and involving 12,000 torchbearers. The journey of the flame will culminate at BC Place on February 12, 2010 with the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron, signaling the start of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

If you are interested in applying to become one of the 12,000 torchbearers (Canadians only) you can find out more about the application process on the official website.  The two main sponsors of the relay are Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and Coca-Cola.  The each have similar, but different application criteria.  Coca-Cola wants to inspire people to “Live Olympic on the Coke Side of Life” by asking for applicants “who demonstrate a commitment to embodying the spirit of the Olympic Games and taking positive action around living actively, protecting the environment and the creation of a more positive reality.”  RBC is looking for people that “Help Create a better Canada.” All that applicants need to do is go to the website and give their “personal pledge to do something small or large in their daily lives that will make Canada an even better place to live.”

Leave a comment if you have a favorite Opening Ceremony moment. Remember when Muhammad Ali lit the cauldron at the 1996 Opening Ceremony in Atlanta?

Or in the 1992 Barcelona Games when Paralympic archer Antonio Rebollo lit the cauldron by shooting a burning arrow towards the cauldron?

Or in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games when the USA Hockey team from 1980 lit the torch together?

I can’t wait to see what they do in Vancouver.