Interview by Emily Clott, Class of 2012
All photos from Robin Simon
Robin Simon (CAC class of 1997) returned from volunteering at the Olympic Games in Paris with a full heart and a trove of great memories. When asked to rate the games on a scale of 1-10, she gave them an 11. One thing she might have changed was the weather—it poured during the Opening Ceremonies and on the first full day of the games, then was swelteringly hot on other days in a city that’s not fully air conditioned. But the organization, pageantry, and stirring competition made the games a huge success.
During three weeks in the City of Light, Robin enjoyed being a real Parisienne, taking the métro to “work” and returning home at the end of the day. While her neighborhood felt normal, the central city, where major events were hosted, was congested with blocked streets, much like Chicago during the DNC. Volunteers and participants were provided with shuttles to access areas they needed to go.
Robin worked nine shifts, either 7:30 am to 12:30 or noon-5 pm. As transit from her apartment to the venue took over an hour, she much preferred the afternoon shift. Her job was to verify credentials for media and service workers. In the media center, where NBC had its own desk, four laptop stations were available for check-in, along with a troubleshooting area.
A tricky part of the gig was typing on the computer. The French do not use our QWERTY keyboard, so some letters and numbers are differently located. And of course the French language has many accent marks, so English speakers can’t easily type away as they would on a computer at home. Another cultural difference is the way dates are noted. Here in the U.S. we indicate dates with month, day, and year—07/31/2024. However the French and other countries represent that date by 31/07/2024. So it could take 5-10 minutes to process each person, including checking ID, printing credentials, laminating the credential, and putting it on a lanyard.
After the first few shifts, a television was installed in the credentials venue so volunteers could watch the games during down-time. Robin loved the unique insights gained by watching with French people rather than an American audience.
Clothing and swag are always of interest to volunteers. As a uniform, Robin received 2 pairs of pants, 4 tops and pairs of socks, comfortable shoes, a fanny pack, a jacket, and a water bottle. A custom Swatch watch designed just for “Paris 2024 Volontaires” was a surprise gift, as well as a gift bag containing a beach towel, waterproof backpack, and commemorative pin.
Although Robin’s volunteer assignment was not at a sporting venue, she did get close to the action by attending seven different athletic events as well as the closing ceremonies at the Stade de France. Her favorites were swimming, women’s indoor volleyball, and the archery matches. She watched the U.S. take three medals in swimming and witnessed three medal ceremonies. She was impressed by the height, skill, and power of the female volleyball players. Although she measures 5’10”, Robin felt dwarfed by the very tall Olympians!
Robin was surprised to enjoy the archery competition. Each athlete had three arrows to shoot at a target that’s about 70 yards away, a distance that took the arrows a few seconds to get to the target. About 75% of the arrows landed in the target’s center circle. Mexico and Korea were the best of the teams. For each competitor, it is a volunteer’s job to change the paper that indicates the bull’s eye on the target.
Robin had a great seat for the closing ceremonies. She described an amazing spectacle—a procession of some 200 flag bearers, followed by the athletes themselves. Once the games were declared closed and the torch passed on to LA for the 2028 Games, the Stade de France transformed into a high energy rock concert. Robin left around midnight, even though Snoop Dogg was still performing.
Not one to rest on her laurels, Robin had to conclude our phone call to get ready for her next gig, volunteering for the Democratic National Convention here in Chicago. Brava, Robin! You truly embody what it means to give your time and talent freely and to be a genuine citizen of the world!
CLICK HERE for more of Robin’s Paris Olympics photos.
CLICK HERE for more stories on The Bridge.
