Beaumaris resident to assist the British Sailing Team at the Olympics
by Stevie Scanlan 21 Jul 2012 17:10 NZST
29 July - 11 August 2012
Ewan McEwan of Beaumaris is volunteering at the Olympics as a Games Maker and will be based in Weymouth & Portland for the sailing event.
Ewan, a management consultant and International Judge in the sport of sailing assisted the Chinese Olympic sailing team during the last Olympic Games in Beijing and has now been given the ultimate honour of assisting the British team during the 2012 Olympic games on his home turf.
Ewan, who can usually be seeing racing his Fife with the Royal Anglesey Yacht Club on the Menai Strait on Saturdays, will be the liaison between the British team and the event organisers, helping to make sure all runs smoothly be it post-race hearings or official functions.
Ewan said: "Training for the role has been very involved; I have had to go to London for the general training for 5 different modules where we were trained on all sorts of things, from how to be a good volunteer and how to host people from different cultures, to the types of protocol that need to be observed at the event, we even had a day learning how to drive a BMW so that I can transport VIPs in the sponsor cars!"
Ewan will be working in Weymouth & Portland for the Olympic games for 2 weeks and then a further 10 days at the Paralympics.
Ewan went on to say: "I am currently reviewing the 21 regulatory documents that govern the Olympic sailing event. Each one of the regulations could have a potential impact on the British Team's behaviour so it is very important that I know them inside out."
"Understanding the high pressure environment of the competitors during the Olympics is probably the most important aspect of the job as even the slightest thing can mean the difference between winning a medal or not, and therefore everything the teams do is of critical importance."
Ewan's experience won't be entirely glamorous though, he is giving his time for free and will be living in a tent for the duration of his time in Weymouth & Portland and cycling to work every day, but that is a small price to pay for being honoured with such a unique role at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.