VSUES volunteers returned from London and told about their work at the 30th summer Olympic Games

VSUES students Elena Katrichenko and Karina Subbotina from the “golden hundred” of volunteers for “Sochi 2014” have just returned to Vladivostok from the Olympics in London. 4-year student of the School of international business and economics Karina Subbotina and a magistrand of the same school Elena Katrichenko made the cut and went through different trainings before going to the Olympics.

Elena and Karina were met in the airport by mass media and the activists from the Volunteers preparation center of VSUES. The volunteers went to the press conference immediately upon arrival and answered questions of the journalists. Everybody was interested to know what it felt to be in the heart of events at the Olympics. Elena and Karina were in high feather despite the fatigue. They could still sense the atmosphere and emotions of the Olympic Games.

Elena Katrichenko told about her work in the Olympic London:

- I worked at the Olympic stadium. Meeting the spectators, accompanying them to their seats and providing different information were my duties. The working day lasted 12 hours. In the beginning we were all very tired, but later we dropped into such tempo. Closure of the Olympics stuck in my memory more than anything. It was a grandiose performance which put together all the sportsmen, celebrities and chief executives from various countries. During my rare days off I walked around London and did the sights. The British are very hospitable and pleasant people. They respected the volunteers’ work.

Karina Subbotina worked in the Olympic village.

- I was a volunteer and interpreter in the Olympic hospital and also accompanied delegations from different countries that came to the Olympic village. Each new day did not resemble the previous one.

The director of the Volunteers preparation center of VSUES Vladimir Chechko came out with information on how to become a volunteer and go to the Olympics in Sochi:

- Our university is one of the 26 volunteers’ centers in Russia that can select volunteers for the Olympic Games in Sochi. We are the only institution with this right in the Far East. Any willing person in the age from 18 up to 80 y.o. can become a volunteer. Our preparation center is mostly visited by young boys and girls. However, sometimes mature people with experience who are older than 70 y.o. apply to us. Karina and Elena told us that there were many volunteers of 40-50 y.o. in London. They were called “silver volunteers”. The desire to help sportsmen, international delegations and spectators of the Olympics does not depend on age.

Our volunteers gained a good experience about organization of work at the largest international competition and its objects. Now Karina and Elena will pass their precious knowledge to the activists of the Volunteers preparation center of VSUES. In the near future the girls will work as volunteers at the APEC-2012 summit.