Volunteers of past Olympic Games reunite on International Olympic Day

Each year, June 23 marks International Olympic Day, which was established in 1948 as a global celebration of sports. Ahead of Paris 2024, taking place in July, the Beijing Olympic City Development Association organized a volunteer reunion event on this special occasion at the Beijing Olympic Museum on Sunday.

More than 20 volunteers, including those who have served at past Olympic Games such as Beijing 2008, London 2012, Sochi 2014, Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018, Tokyo 2020, and Beijing 2022, as well as some who are going to Paris 2024, attended the reunion and shed light on how the volunteering experience had a positive impact on them.

Zhang Wenquan, a volunteer at Beijing 2008 and Beijing 2022, proudly presented his collection of Olympic souvenirs. These impressive collections made him the most popular interviewee for the media during the Games. Among the exhibited items, there was a "Phryges" of the Paris Olympics, a large figure bearing the signature of the president of the Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach.

Each volunteer has a unique story about their journey. Chen Yunzhi applied to volunteer for Rio 2016 at the age of 18 because she’s a big fan of the Brazilian soccer team. After staying in Brazil for almost one month, the volunteering experience not only satisfied her curiosity about this South American country but also enhanced her passion for sports and the Olympics. “Being part of the real Olympics was really like an amplifier for my passion, an amplifier for my enthusiasm. So I followed every single match of the Olympic Games after that,” she said.

Qi Huaiyuan, who has volunteered at three Winter Olympic Games, will embark on his journey to Paris this summer. Talking about what makes the experience so special, Qi said, “It’s about making friends for life. We will stay in touch for years." Qi volunteered at the PyeongChang 2018 Games and had the opportunity to return to South Korea in February this year, where local volunteers arranged a meeting to catch up. "You make some contributions to society during your stay and you live like a local, which helped me learn about the country’s culture. It’s something I could not get as a tourist.”

Ke Lele will be in Paris at the Eiffel Tower beach volleyball venue to provide event services. “It’s all about love for the Olympics,” he said. When he recalled his time at the Rio 2016 Games, the first time he traveled overseas as a young man, he described it as his “most carefree time in life.” He still can’t forget the time his teammates gave him a ticket to the men’s basketball match between China and Serbia. Even though he was still on duty, his manager gave special approval for him to watch the game. “Lele, you did such a great job, you deserve to watch a complete match,” his manager said at the time.

Chen Shunwen, a student at Peking University, will be one of the volunteers serving at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. “I have been learning French for two years and I want to apply what I have learned in real life,” she said. She went through a long process to finally get the offer, which made her feel super excited. In preparation for the Paralympic Games, she has been asked to complete the online courses by the Paralympic Games Committee and can’t wait to witness the Chinese team’s victory in the Games.

As a wrap-up of the event, the volunteers recorded a cheerful greeting video with best wishes for the Paris 2024 Olympics. This video will be passed to the Paris Olympics Committee by the volunteers in person next month.