Tokyo 2020 Olympics — We Can Transform the World

Summary

The web content discusses the motivations and experiences of Tokyo 2020 Olympics volunteers, emphasizing their diverse backgrounds and shared commitment to making a positive global impact through their service.

Abstract

The article titled "Tokyo 2020 Olympics — We Can Transform the World" delves into the reasons why volunteers, known as Field Cast members, have chosen to participate in the Olympic Games. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the reduced number of interactions due to safety measures, the volunteers are eager to contribute to a meaningful global event. The narrative includes personal stories from individuals like Carlos Hernandez, Aimee-Lee Nash, Chelanna White, Tabata Petunia, Jenny Cornick, Jessii Parham, and Kimiko Kimori, illustrating their passion for giving back, being part of history, and promoting cultural exchange. The volunteers' enthusiasm for the Olympics is underscored by their willingness to travel long distances, their excitement about specific events like equestrian sports, and their desire to foster world peace through customer service and international understanding.

Opinions

Carlos Hernandez views the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as an opportunity to express gratitude for his life in Japan.
Aimee-Lee Nash is excited to be part of history and shares her enthusiasm through her South African perspective.
Chelanna White is determined to participate in the games despite living far from Tokyo, seeing it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Tabata Petunia regrets missing the registration but still hopes to contribute to Tokyo 2020.
Jenny Cornick's love for Tokyo and equestrian sports motivates her to promote these events during the Olympics.
Jessii Parham enjoys meeting like-minded people and experiencing different cultures through volunteering at global events.
Kimiko Kimori, a local from Tokyo, wants to utilize her customer service skills to contribute to world peace.
The volunteers collectively believe that their service can make the world a better place and are committed to shining as beacons of hope.
Despite the year-long wait, the impact of Coronavirus, and a significant number of resignations from the Field Cast team, the remaining volunteers are eager to showcase Tokyo's vibrancy and their dedication to the Olympic spirit.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics — We Can Transform the World

Why we volunteer

Participating in the Olympics is an opportunity to be on the world stage. It is a chance to let your light shine and brighten the lives of people from all over the world. While the number of people that we Tokyo 2020 volunteers will get to interact with is going to be smaller than originally anticipated, our ability to impact the world has not been diminished.

Field Cast members, as we Tokyo 2020 Olympic volunteers are called, have many reasons for taking part in the games. In previous posts, Carlos Hernandez talked about having gratitude for his life in Japan and Tokyo 2020 being his opportunity to give back. Aimee-Lee Nash also shared her excitement for being part of history in the story Olympic Spirit South African Style.

Since then, I have talked to many other volunteers who are excitedly looking forward to coming together for this life-altering experience. Some people carve out their lives around volunteering while others happen to be in the right place at the right time and are looking to thrive on that serendipity.

Chelanna White is from Canada and missed taking part in the Vancouver 2010 games, because she was living in France at the time. This time, despite living in Kyoto, which is almost 500 Km (300 miles) away from Tokyo, she is determined to take part in the games. I can relate. I lived in California during the 1984 games and would have loved to have volunteered but did not take the initiative to do so. Tabata Petunia is from Columbia and was also hoping to help at Tokyo 2020 but missed registration, which actually took place 3 years ago!

Jenny Cornick is a horse enthusiast. Fortunately for her, she was assigned to help with equestrian events. The equestrian events are one of the few that will be taking place in the bubble. All the athletes, support staff, and volunteers will be staying at the same hotel and take shuttle buses to events. “I love Tokyo, and equestrian sports, and want to promote them,” Jenny said in anticipation of the games.

Jessii Parham is also supporting equestrian events. She is a serial volunteer assisting at events all over the world. “I love to meet people and experience this with like-minded people.’ She said, ‘ I enjoy traveling and learning about cultures. And being a part of something like the Olympics is a great honor on its own.”

Kimiko Kimori didn’t have to travel halfway around the world to take part in Tokyo 2020. She is from Tokyo. Her experience in hospitality and hospitals has helped her to develop a strong sense of customer service. When asked why she is volunteering, her reply was, “These experiences are an opportunity to expand your activities to the world. I can still speak English, so I definitely wanted to join the team behind the scenes of the Tokyo Olympics, look at things from various angles, and join the bridge of world peace.”

At the end of the day, I believe that all of us Tokyo 2020 Field Cast members are excited to help make the world a better place through our service, participation, and sharing of positivity. We have a saying among volunteers, “I will shine.” Despite the year of waiting, the challenges brought on by Corona and the thousands of people that resigned from the Field Cast team, those of who are left, City Cast included, intend to show the world that Tokyo is an awesome place and that there are people here who are determined to be beacons of hope for the entire world.

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